Alpha and Omega - Robin's Story
by Subzero Dragon
Summary: Nova has fallen at last, but the real struggle is just beginning. A terrible sickness sweeps through the God Eaters, but leaves others unharmed. There is no known cure, and those infected face death. At the same time, new Aragami start to appear that cannot be harmed by ordinary God Eaters. How can two fated God Eaters hope to destroy them? A collaboration with Sprogster85.
1. The Valley

**_A/N:_** _This story is a two-part collaboration with Sprogster85. It will be a story focusing on two God Eaters: Robin, and Jackal. At times the stories will converge and diverge, but they are related. See Sprogster85's profile for Jackal's side of this story. It takes place after the events of God Eater Resurrection, and is an unrelated stand-alone from my other story. Read and enjoy!_

 **O-O-O-O-O**

 _The Valley_

Forests were a rarity in this world. Those few forests that hadn't been stripped bare by fighting, wildfire, or Aragami were occupied by the Aragami, making them a terrible place to relax. Few would venture into such a place willingly, but for me, this was my favorite place. This place was a rare gem in that the Aragami tended to avoid us here. I stared up into the crown of a particularly large cherry tree, letting the sakura petals fall on my face as I gazed up at the afternoon sky. I love this place. It's one of the few places where I can forget for a moment what I am: a God Eater. I knew the serenity wouldn't last long, but I chose to indulge anyway. Besides, I still had my spear leaning up against the tree, right by my side just in case. Only a fool would take peace for granted around here. I leaned back against the tree trunk and balanced my sketchbook on my knees. I was hoping to see something interesting to draw, preferably a bird. Birds are rare though, even here. I can hear them chirping around me, so I know they're nearby. I just can't see them.

"Hey, Robin! Commander Viper is looking for you! You don't want to get yelled at again, do you?"

I recognize the voice calling my name. Well, Robin is not my "name", per se. It's my codename. My real name is Reiko, Reiko Kimura. I used to go by Rei before I adopted my codename. Some people still call me that. I think I'm pretty easy on the eyes; blue-eyed, green-haired with a ponytail that hangs to my waist. I got told that I remind people of a cat for some reason (and I'm not sure why). I'd rather resemble a bird. Not that I mind getting compared to a cat, but birds are my favorite animals.

The boy who called me came my way and gave me a look. "C'mon, Robin. Don't ignore me. If I don't bring you back, Commander Viper will tan my hide again. Now get up and come back with me already."

The boy was about the same age as I am, and I was eighteen. He was a decent-looking guy, brown eyes, dark, messy hair. I think he was American, but I wasn't sure. He went by Jackal, but nobody knew his name. The thing was, _he_ didn't know his name either. Two months ago he showed up here, completely out of the blue. Nobody told us where he'd come from, his background, nothing. He was an alright person, competitive, but a good guy. The strange thing was, he had no memories of anything whatsoever. Nothing, not his family, not his birthplace, not even his name. The only thing he could remember was the word "jackal", which he eventually took on as his name. I assumed he had training as a God Eater somewhere else, as he had a red armlet on his arm instead of the blue ones we have at The Valley.

Oh, The Valley is what we call this facility. I was told it's located somewhere near Mt. Fuji, but I don't really know exactly where. We weren't allowed to leave the forest surrounding the facility. I've lived here for the past three months. There's me, Jackal, about twenty other God Eaters, a handful of staff, and Commander Viper living here. I was told that the Valley was a special facility, built to train elite troops to fight Aragami. Only a few God Eaters are here at any given time though. I'm not really sure why.

"Robin!"

I jumped a little at Jackal shouting my name again. "S-sorry Jackal! I was kinda lost in thought..."

"I know what'll get you moving." Jackal grinned in a way I recognized all too well. He only smirks like that when he's about to invent a competition. "Let's have a race! First one back to the Valley buys the other a mochi ice cream!"

Oh, he knows me too well! Mochi is my second favorite treat and my first favorite is ice cream. He had me hooked at mochi ice cream, and his satisfied nod indicates he saw my reaction. I don't usually indulge in his challenges, but I can't help myself if mochi ice cream is involved!

I hopped to my feet and put my sketchbook away. "Mochi!? I _have_ to race you now! You better be ready to treat me when I kick your butt!"

He grinned and laughed, "Ha, I knew that'd get your attention, but don't get so excited you forget your Arc."

Crap! I was so wound up that I nearly made a _very_ stupid mistake... I scooped up my God Arc from where I'd set it down. I heard him chuckle at me a little as I strapped my God Arc to my back.

Jackal just gave me a playful look and bent over his knees. "Ready? On the count of three..." I nodded in reply and crouched to a ready position. "One..." I squared up my stance, ready to go.

"Two..." I leaned forward, not willing to lose to Jackal.

"Pineapple!" I made a false start and tried to stop. Instead, I tripped and fell over, sending a puff of cherry petals flying as I landed facefirst in the grass. He burst out laughing again and started slapping a leg as I glared from the ground.

"Ow! It's not funny," I protested as I rolled to my feet, "You bully."

"Sorry," his words said one thing, but the impish grin on his face said another, "I didn't mean to."

As I shot Jackal another stare, I noticed some movement in the distance. I looked past Jackal, approaching a few steps to get a better look. I soon saw that it was Commander Viper. He was walking my way with a stern look on his face. Viper could be a scary-looking guy; he always had this look like he was angry, which sometimes made it hard to tell if he actually was mad. If he locked those green eyes on you, he'd give you the same glare whether he was praising you or scolding you. Unnerving. He had short, wild red hair and a beard that trailed down to his chest; he was a very distinct man. To top it off, he was easily six-foot eight inches. To me, he looked like a grumpy giant. Then again, I'm only four-foot eight. Most men (and most everyone for that matter) look huge to me...

Viper stared down his nose at us, settling on Jackal first, "I thought I ordered you to bring Robin back, Jackal, and I told you to make it fast. Did I not speak English?"

"Sorry..." Jackal straightened to his full height and bowed, "My bad."

Viper's scowl deepened and he stamped a foot. "'My bad?' You know better than to speak to your superiors like that! Show some respect, whelp!"

"Sorry sir!" Jackal bowed again, "It won't happen again, sir!"

"That's more like it." His glare turned on me next and I swallowed hard. "Don't think you're off the hook either. You were supposed to be back for your debriefing at 1300 hours! Do you know what time it is now?"

I looked down at my watch and flinched. It was 1305. Normally, I wouldn't worry so much about five minutes, but this was Viper we were talking about here. This was the same man who once made me do two hundred push-ups for accidentally showing up to drill with my shirt inside-out. Who knew what kind of punishment he had in store for me this time...

Viper had to have seen the expression I made, because his scowl softened slightly. He still had that resting angry face though. "Stop your flinching. You will not be punished... this time. Today is a special day for both of you."

"Special?" I asked, "How do you mean?"

"I'll tell you, so shut up and listen because I won't repeat myself!" he growled. I said nothing in reply, but I broke eye-contact and stared at my feet. I _hate_ confrontation and arguments. When Viper starts going off at me like this, I just want to disappear...

Seeming satisfied at my response, or lack of as it were, he cleared his throat. "That's better. Now then," Viper started to pace as he looked between us, "today is the day your training will conclude. From this day forth, you kids will be true God Eaters."

"Woo!" Jackal leaped into the air, pumping a fist in excitement, "Hell yeah! About time! I'm so tired of doing nothing but training all the time!" I nodded my agreement and smiled. Today was graduation day! How could I have forgotten that?

" _However!_ " Viper raised his voice, cutting our delight short, "There is one last thing I need from you brats."

Jackal's mood deflated immediately. "Should've known..." he grumbled with a sigh.

"Sir?" I asked.

"You two need to come with me. Hurry it up." Viper spoke as he turned on his heel and walked back in the direction of The Valley.

"Hey, Robin..." Jackal shot me a mischievous smirk, "Three!" then tore off across the meadow, leaving me momentarily stunned. That little minx was still trying to race me!

"H-hey!" I protested as I rushed to catch him, "That's cheating!" He just laughed as he bolted ahead of me. I rushed to catch him. As I shot ahead of Viper, I heard him grumble something about "those kids," but I wasn't listening. Mochi was on the line here! I couldn't let Jackal win!

Soon, The Valley came into view. Despite its name, The Valley was actually located in a meadow in this forest. It could be a little hard to spot, because it was covered in camouflage netting and tactical paint. If you didn't know where to look, it would be easy to overlook this place and walk right by it. I knew exactly where to look, and I rushed straight for the door. Jackal was right at my side, almost matching me. I leaned to increase my momentum... and I fell _again._ My foot was snared by something on the ground, and I wound up on my face. I caught a glimpse of Jackal whirling around to face me.

"Robin," he looked down at me and put a hand on his hip, "You are the clumsiest God Eater I've ever seen! How the hell did you trip over a tiny little tree root like that?"

I looked over my back at what had my foot. Sure enough, it was a little tree root, just barely big enough to catch the toe of my boot. I groaned in annoyance as I righted myself and sat on my legs. "Crap," I grumbled, "I guess I lost, huh..."

Jackal shrugged, "Eh, this doesn't count. I kinda cheated by surprising you, and you tripped," he extended a hand to me, "I'll treat you since I didn't exactly play fair. C'mon, up you go, you klutz." I accepted his hand and stood, dusting sakura petals and dirt off my blue uniform.

"Are you two done clowning around now?" Viper said crisply from behind me, "We have some final testing to do. Get over to Doctor Sophia ASAP, am I understood?"

"Testing?" I groaned. I _hate_ checkups. It's always needles, and medicine, and poking, and prodding, and questions, and measurements... ugh.

Viper scowled again at me, making me break eye contact and stare at the floor, "Of course, you fool. We can't send you two off if you're infirm. Now move your carcass, soldier!" But I was not sick or anything. Oh, well. I might as well get it over with. I slump reluctantly into the facility, and get a nudge from Jackal.

"Hey, perk up, Robin," he said in an encouraging tone, "We get to finally leave this place. We'll be real God Eaters from today on. I dunno about you, but I'm psyched! I wonder where they'll send us?" I briefly ponder the thought, but I quickly fell back to reluctance. It's exciting to leave, but I still hate doctor visits...

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

"How's the checkups looking, Sophia?" Viper asked the young doctor.

The woman turned over her shoulder at him, her long, blonde braid swishing behind her. She then turned back to the two trainees laying on the cots in front of her. Both God Eaters were sleeping, thanks to the medicine they had taken. They were hooked up to multiple monitors and devices, all with readouts that Viper neither understood nor cared to understand. All that mattered was the simple facts.

The doctor pawed through several notes on her clipboard. "Both subjects are quite healthy and fit. No sign of maladies or disease. Their checkups are just about perfect."

Viper frowned, "Just about? That implies something is _not_ perfect. Explain."

"Reiko's stats seem to point to poor coordination. She will need encouragement and support to overcome this. However, she has above average intelligence, and excellent stamina. She'll be a God Eater to watch; she has good potential."

"And the boy? What of him?"

Sophia cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses. "I would not be concerned with his performance. His strength and speed are both very good, and this will serve him well. Unfortunately, his neural patterns are still abnormal. The amnesia does not seem to have improved, but it has not worsened either. I think this condition may be permanent. Fortunately, this does not seem to have affected his physical or emotional status."

Viper nodded once. This was perfect. Both children were primed to fulfill his mission. He could hardly wait. "Are either of them viable candidates for the Alpha Project?"

"Well..." Sophia looked back to her notes, "Both of them show some genetic compatibility with the serum, but Reiko's projected compatibility is only 53 percent. Using her as the prime agent is extremely ill advised. She may still make a good secondary carrier though. As for the boy, his projected compatibility is 95 percent. I suspect that his amnesia has made his neural system far more compatible with the serum. He will make a good prime agent, should you choose to proceed."

"Proceed with the Alpha Project on Jackal," he ordered.

"Of course," Sophia nodded once, "I will proceed with the serum injection right away. I should be done in less than five minutes. Once the kids come to, they will be ready to leave."

Viper nodded once, satisfied with the response. His dream, his goal was about to come to fruition. It bothered him that he had to leave the future of his project in the hands of this child, but he had no choice. He had to do what he had to do for the sake of humanity's continued future. A part of him wanted to tell the children their destinies, but he knew they would rebel should they learn the truth. He could only hope that these kids could learn to forgive him for what he was going to do.

The doctor looked back up from her notes again, "By the way, where are you sending them?"

"I'm sending them to the Far East. That's where the project will truly begin..."


	2. Fangs and Fury

_Fangs and Fury_

I squirmed in my seat, unable to sit still. I was equal parts eager and nervous. I'd never been in a chopper before, never flown before, never even seen where I was been sent to before. What kind of place was the Far East, I wondered. Was it a coastal place? Was it in the mountains? Was it in the plains? Or, maybe it was in a forest again. Then again, this was supposed to be one of Fenrir's larger branches, not the tiny facility I was in before. The chances that the Far East was in a novel place were slim.

And furthermore, what kind of God Eaters were there? Were they nice people? Or, would I find another Viper? God, I hoped not. That was one thing I was all too glad to get far away from. I sincerely hoped the Far East had some good people. I was very shy and didn't warm up to strangers easily because I got flustered easily. I never made friends at The Valley because of that. My greatest worry was that when I graduated, I'd be separated from Jackal. He was the only one I trusted. At least I got transferred to the Far East with my best and only friend. Having him by my side made this a little easier.

Maybe I was overthinking this. I needed a distraction. I took out my sketchbook and started doodling. I drew a few random things, but it wasn't very satisfying. I needed a better muse. I wanted to see if there was an animal to draw, but that was extremely unlikely up in the air like this. I heard a light snore and looked over at the seat next to me. It looked like Jackal had fallen sound asleep; his head was slumped against his chest and his eyes were closed. I kinda envied him. How could he be so calm about this? Then again, maybe he had the right idea. I should take a cue from him and relax. He mumbled something incoherent and shifted in his seat a bit. He seemed so peaceful right now. He must be having a nice dream. I let a smile cross my face as I decided to draw Jackal taking a nap. He looked so sweet and innocent like this that I couldn't resist. It might be amusing to show him my art when he wakes up.

As I finished my drawing, my gaze turned to the scene out the window. It was the remains of a once proud city, now chewed to ruin by time and Aragami. It was stark and eerie, yet I couldn't stop looking. I grew distracted from drawing any more and stood to get a better look.

"Hey, kid!" a male's voice barked, "Sit back down! That's twice now I've had to tell you that. You got ants in your pants or what?"

"Sorry," I replied to the pilot's annoyed remark. I quietly lowered myself back to my seat, opting to stare out the window behind me instead. The city below was crawling with Aragami. The notion that what was once a sanctuary for humanity was now little more than a nest for beasts crossed my mind. It was a sobering thought.

I could see a large herd of several dozen Ogretails ambling through the streets, and I watched them from my seat. Nearby, a Vajra stalked them, clearly waiting for the perfect time to pounce on a straggler. A passing Zygote saw the Vajra and screamed, alerting the herd. Several of the smaller Aragami spooked, darting away in a moment and disappearing through the alleyways. The Ogretails in the rear spun and faced the cat. They swarmed as one at the Vajra, who tried to defend itself. We passed the scene before I could see what happened next, but I could still hear the Aragami's fading cries even from here. It sounded like a vicious fight. The thought briefly crossed my mind of what I would do if I had to handle a situation like that. The best idea would be to hide, let them fight among themselves, then pick off any surviving Aragami, of course.

As I considered the theory, I saw something strange. A huge, silver-colored blade dragged through an alley. It was broad and flat, almost like a sword, but tapered at the middle, creating a tiered look. It disappeared behind a skyscraper before I could do more than wrinkle my brow in confusion.

"What in the world?" I muttered aloud, "Was that... a Borg Calmann?" No, that wasn't it, I realized as I pondered. The sword was hanging far too low to the ground, and shaped strangely. Borgs carry their tails high overhead like a scorpion. What other Aragami have swords? Think, Robin, think... what is this?

As I puzzled it out, I saw four pairs of glittering eyes staring out of the shadows behind the building. Before I had time to do more than cast a second glance, a gleam of silver swept in an arc from the darkness. I caught a glimpse of dozens of dark, gleaming objects flying my way. I didn't even have the time to register this before the objects slammed into the chopper. The entire vehicle lurched, knocking me from my seat and sending me sprawling on the floor.

"Ow! What was that?" I heard Jackal blurt from behind me. I tried to get up, but the chopper listed badly to the right and made me lose my balance and fall again. I rolled and landed upside-down against the cockpit door. Though I was at an awkward angle, I could now see that Jackal had somehow managed to remain in his seat, apparently by clinging onto it with all his strength.

"We've taken heavy damage!" the pilot exclaimed, "Something's shooting at us! Taking evasive measures!"

"We're under attack?!" Jackal fumbled for his seatbelt buckle, but the helicopter rolled the other way and threw him against his restraints. I tumbled again and fell to the back of the vehicle, colliding with the rear wall painfully. This time I wasn't so stunned, I was able to right myself relatively quickly. The momentum of the banking chopper wore off quickly, and I clumsily stumbled to the window to see what was happening.

What I saw made me gasp in shock. The shape I saw had emerged into from behind the building and was standing in the open now. It was a massive, black-scaled, two-headed serpent, easily the size of an Ouroboros! It was covered in large, broad scales that bristled along its spine like an angry cat as it glared. The left head was broad and flat, sporting a long, dangerous-looking set of sabertooth-style fangs. This head seemed eyeless, or perhaps its eyes were simply tiny. The other was angular and narrow, and had a flared hood like a cobra. Its flanks were marked with glowing, white markings in intricate patterns, making the creature's ebony scales shine like polished steel. The serpent had a broad, flat tail that ended in the sword-like thing I saw before. That blade was about a third of the length of its body, and looked extremely sharp. I guessed the tail could be used like a Borg Calmann's spike.

I began racking my brain, considering what kind of Aragami this could be, but I was coming up blank. I'd spent a long time studying NORN between training sessions back at The Valley, but the more I thought about it, the more sure I was that I'd never seen it before.

"What _is_ that thing?" I asked in wide-eyed shock.

"A new Aragami?!" I heard Jackal exclaim, "I've never seen anything like this!"

The creature turned its heads, seeming angry at the sight of the chopper. It snapped its tail over its heads like a whip. To my horror it had just flung a spray of its scales our way! That must have been what hit us earlier! Before I could even form a sentence, the scales hit us again. The entire helicopter jolted violently as they impacted. I could hear the shriek of tearing metal and the crack of electrical arcs. Emergency lights flared to life and klaxons honked in my ears as sparks flew from the damaged areas. I had no idea if any of those scales pierced the craft, and I screamed and covered my face to shield myself from the assault.

I could sense that something was horribly wrong. I stumbled again and fell against the window as I struggled to regain my feet. By the time I recovered from the second blow, I realized that the helicopter was losing altitude rapidly. The horizon outside spun and whirled in crazy patterns as the damaged chopper spun faster and faster in circles.

"Dammit! We've lost the tail rotor! I can't keep us steady!" the pilot's voice rang out from the cockpit, "Hang onto something! We're going down fast!"

I braced and screamed in fear as the ground came rushing up at an alarming speed. The chopper jolted again as we hit something directly broadside, probably a building. I was flung again, much more harshly this time. I slammed sideways into the hatch doors. My head hit the doorjamb hard. The impact was more than I could take, and I blacked out as the chopper continued its wild spiral earthward...

O-O-O-O-O-O

Pain and the force of the crash still rang in my body when I came to. I coughed and opened my eyes slowly to flickering colors. My vision was a little blurry, but I could see embers and rubble in front of my face. As my vision and mind cleared, I became aware that I was a little battered and bruised, but not fatally wounded. It was right then that I realized someone was calling my name.

"Robin, Robin! Come on, say something, will you!?" That voice, it was Jackal. I looked up as I pulled myself to my knees and found him kneeling at my side. His scythe was at the ready, and he seemed on edge. Was he protecting me just now?

"Ow..." I groaned painfully, "What... happened?"

Jackal's face relaxed slightly on hearing my voice. "Good, you've come around. You got flung into the door and knocked out. I was worried when you wouldn't wake up. Are you injured?"

I gingerly tested my limbs, wincing when I moved wrong. My head hurt. My legs hurt. My side was burning: maybe I was cut or something. I looked down and saw that I was bleeding a little, but the wound was shallow. I've had worse, but this still sucked. "A little," I answered him, "but I'll be fine, really. What happened?" I asked again.

Jackal's expression became somewhat angry. "Some giant snake-Aragami shot down our chopper. We were forced to make a crash landing."

I hesitated, then reluctantly asked, "Did... did anyone else make it?"

Jackal shook his head slowly, "I checked, but we're the only survivors..."

"No..." I shook my head in disbelief looked up at Jackal, "It's not true, tell me it's not!" Jackal said nothing, but broke eye-contact and lowered his head. My mood sunk further and I raised my hands to my mouth in shock. This couldn't be right. This had to be some kind of awful nightmare... I sat for several long moments before I spoke up quietly, "We're not in comm range, are we?" I figured probably not, but there was a part of me that hoped otherwise.

Jackal shook his head, confirming my fears. "The onboard radio is broken. Luckily the SOS beacon still works," Jackal scouted about one more time before returning to me,"but we're on our own until the signal gets through." He extended a hand to me, "Can you stand?"

I sat numbly and let the revelation sink in. We were stuck out here alone. Our pilot was dead. The radio was not functioning. Who knew how long it would be before we could expect any rescue? I stood with Jackal's help, a grim look settling on my face.

He must have seen the face I made. "Hey, look on the bright side, Robin. We're alive, right? We can still make the best of this somehow." He smiled comfortingly at me with a hint of his mischievousness showing, "Besides, I still owe you a mochi ice cream, don't I? Look forward to that."

I knew he was trying his best to cheer me up, but this was a far more serious problem than mochi could solve. That was when I remembered the Aragami that downed us in the first place. It would be hard to miss an Aragami the size of that one, but I did _not_ want to get surprised. That meant we had to get the heck out of here, right pronto.

"Jackal, it's not safe here. We better find somewhere to-"Any thoughts of evading that thing evaporated when I heard a loud hiss from nearby. The snake's sabertoothed head popped out from around the corner of a building and flicked a silver tongue our way.

"Too late, it saw us!" I shouted.

"Are you kidding me? _Now!?_ " Jackal shook his head and drew his scythe, "Talk about bad timing! Robin, get ready for a fight, it's coming!"

I readied myself for a fight, and then a terrifying discovery struck me: my God Arc was missing! It must've gotten thrown during the crash. My eyes widened in fear as I realized my situation.

I rushed towards the chopper as the Aragami emerged from behind the building. I began peeling back layers of metal and debris from the crash site as I searched for my Arc. The snake slithered our way, moving startlingly fast for such a big creature. It reared both heads and roared as it charged our way, snapping its fanged head at us as it rushed for a bite. Jackal flared his shield as the thing lunged. Its fangs screeched across his God Arc as he turned it away. The snake immediately countered by swinging its tail-blade like a sword. Jackal only barely dodged this, and his yelp of pain told me he wasn't entirely successful. I was starting to panic a little; I had to find my weapon and help him!

"Hurry!" he called as he swiped at its side, "I can't do it alone!" Jackal slammed his scythe down in an Extend Bite, attempting to pin it. His blade merely slid off its scales. If the snake was even fazed, it did not show it.

"Huh, immune to slashes, is it?" Jackal changed his weapon to gun form, "Let's see it handle _this!_ " Jackal fired a point-blank barrage of shots to its exposed flank as the Aragami coiled for another lunge. All this seemed to do was to anger the thing, and it retaliated with a bite from both heads. Jackal rolled aside just in time, and the snake hit nothing.

"No effect _again?_ " He glanced from his weapon to the snake repeatedly, "How is that possible?!"

How is that possible indeed! Just what kind of Aragami were we up against here? I was so stunned by this that I froze in place for several seconds. I shook myself from my gawking and returned to the rubble. I heard him cry out again, and I knew he'd been hit. I gritted my teeth and sped up my search. Bad, bad, _bad!_ This was very bad! I had to find my lance, and soon, or Jackal was going to get seriously hurt or worse!

Found it! I dragged my spear out from behind a crumpled panel and leaped to a battle-position. I noticed that the Aragami didn't seem to be interested in me at the moment, but it would surely be after me soon, especially once I was done with it. I took the brief advantage and stabbed the snake directly in the tail. If I was lucky, I might unbind its tail and leave it with one less weapon. My lance sprayed a shower of sparks, but could not pierce it. My attack did not seem to harm it whatsoever! I was stunned. I knew my spear wasn't exactly awesome, but it was not mediocre either. My attack should've done _something_ at least!

"Crap!" I blurted, "Pierces don't work either! What is _with_ this crazy thing?! Maybe it's only sensitive to crushing attacks?" I changed my Arc to Blast Cannon mode and fired my emitter in the thing's face. It had absolutely no effect, _again!_ I stared, numb with disbelief. Piercing, slashing, and crushing did all of _nothing_ to this Aragami! What gives?!

"Nothing works on it!" Jackal protested as he tried a laser next with no still effect, "We don't have a choice: run for it, Robin!"

He didn't need to tell _me_ twice! I spun on my heel and ran as fast as I could. I heard Jackal change his weapon back to melee for better speed, then rush behind me. The snake screamed and charged in kind; I could hear its enormous body slithering along as it gave chase. I wove and darted among the alleyways, desperately trying to evade the snake, but it was right behind me the whole time. This wasn't going to work, I realized. That thing was fast, and I couldn't keep running like that forever. It'd catch me when I wore out. Noticing a nearby ruined skyscraper, I came up with a last-ditch idea. It would be too big to follow me if I hid here. I could wait for it to lose interest in me, then rendezvous with the rescue team at the chopper. I ducked inside, hoping my impromptu strategy worked. I heard the zing of the scales whizzing behind me as I ducked around a collapsed wall. I pressed against the rubble as the scales lodged themselves in my surroundings. I sat on my feet in a crouch, lowering my profile the best I could.

"We... we made it!" I quipped with a nervous chuckle, "We'll be okay if we hide here, right Jackal?" As I turned to my side, I noticed that he wasn't there. I looked back and forth, hoping to find him, but I saw no sign of my friend. My relief at finding a place to hide quickly changed to panic as I realized that somehow, I'd become separated from him. With the snake flinging scales at me, I could not leave my hiding place to look for Jackal.

"No... why? Why is this happening to me? Jackal... help!" I curled up into a ball in an attempt to hide further as the snake roared in fury outside.

I was alone with the Aragami, and there was nothing I could do about it.


	3. First Unit

_First Unit_

 _ **Fifteen minutes earlier...**_

I looked out the window of the hovering chopper, scouting the ground below. We'd arrived at the City of Mercy: a place I knew all too well. My companions and I have been here more times than I could count. We were passing by on our way back from a scouting mission when we received the SOS call. A transport helicopter had issued the summons. This was far from the first time a transport had been downed, but it was the timing that left me with an ominous feeling.

"Here's where that signal came from. We better get off and start our search from here," I turned back from the view and towards the young blonde who spoke. His name was Soma Shicksal. He was one of the most skilled God Eaters we had, but could be a little prickly and difficult to understand. He's become friendlier since those days, but was still known to be a little distant at times.

"Don't you guys think this is bad timing? I mean, you know what's happening today, right Alisa? I hope they made it okay..." I brushed a bit of my hair out of my face as I looked to to the speaker. He was a friendly gunner named Kota Fujiki. Though he could seem a little rash, his optimism and good sense of teamwork made him a pleasure to work with. Right now, he had to be feeling the same anxiety I was, I could tell by the tone he used just now. I'd be lying if I claimed I wasn't worried too. We were expecting two newcomer God Eaters today, both specially trained at a distant branch. They were scheduled to arrive today. In fact, they were supposed to be coming in around the same time we got back to the Far East. I looked up from my report and out the window with a grim face. He had a point. This _was_ foreboding...

Something felt wrong about the whole thing. Whatever took out the chopper had to be still nearby. The thought that we may need to fight wasn't what bothered me. I, Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, am a God Eater like my three companions. Fighting the strong to protect the weak; it's what we do every day. But today, there was a different goal. There had been some unsettling reports of an unbeatable Aragami lately. That wasn't the part that concerned me either. My allies and I have faced so-called "invincible" Aragami before. In fact, it had only been a month since we defeated the revived Nova, and that fight had been the hardest of my life. We were not prepared for a drawn-out battle today, and chances were the victims were civilians. Our priority was to locate any survivors, then evacuate until we could reevaluate the situation.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. There's no point in guessing anyway," I answered, putting on my best brave-face as I stood up and fetched my God Arc from the harness at the back of the helicopter, "Soma's right, we better get going."

"Yeah, I bet everyone's fine! The Captain has the right idea, so, let's stay positive too," I heard my third teammate speak up. She was Kanon Daiba, a fierce but rather clumsy medic. She could be very kind, almost naive around her friends, but she had this jarringly vicious streak in battle. She also had this... well... how should I put this... um... "issue" with friendly-fire. It could be surprising if you didn't know what to expect. Still, she was second-to-none when it came to field medicine, and had a knack for being able to act fast in a pinch. She wasn't technically part of the First Unit like Kota, Soma, and I were, she was actually part of the Defense Squad. We needed a fourth squad mate, and she'd happily agreed to the job when I asked her to accompany us.

I glanced back at Kanon with a tense face, "Don't call me that, Kanon. It still feels... wrong. I don't feel like I earned that title yet..."

Soma cast a small smile my way, "Kanon's not wrong, is she? You _are_ the Captain, even if it's in situ. Now, let's get moving. We have to locate that SOS."

"Keep a weather eye everyone," I heard a familiar voice warn me from the radio, "I'm picking up signs of a huge Oracle response in this area. The signature indicates that it might be that unidentified Aragami from the reports. Caution strongly advised."

"We'll be careful. Thanks, Hibari," I answered our operator.

"I can't get a very good reading on it. I have no idea where it is. If it _is_ that unbeatable Aragami, you must retreat. We can't risk losing anyone to that thing, so be careful, understood?"

"Of course. Now, let's go!" I moved to the hatch doors and waited until the chopper was only a few yards away before jumping to the ground. My friends quickly followed me. No sooner than the last of us landed, then the helicopter darted away high into the sky. No matter how many times I saw it, the sight of that chopper flying away always felt melancholy, as though it may never return. Today, I felt that dread more than usual. I briefly wondered why I was so scared today, then scolded myself for being thick. Of course I should be worried; there might be a powerful foe out here today. I didn't want to find out if that Aragami report was true though...

I shook myself out of my musings. Time to work. "Alright team," I ordered as I looked down from the sky, "Spread out and scout a bit, but don't leave earshot. Report anything unusual immediately, understood?"

"Sure thing, Captain!" Kanon chirped with a playful salute, "I'll take the north side." She'd barely even finished her sentence before she was off. I couldn't hold back a smile. Even though our task was a bleak one, her cheeriness was infectious. I should follow that example and try to calm down a bit.

"Then, I'll take the south," I answered with a smile, "Soma, you take the east. Kota, you take the west. Keep your eyes peeled for trouble, everyone." I heard the boys acknowledge me as I moved to my position at the southern end of the area. I didn't see anything of note, and the area was silent. Come to think of it, it was _too_ quiet. There was a major attack in this area just recently, so I know there's something out here. There's usually at least some small fry roaming around but not this time. No Ogretails, no Zygotes, not even a random Cocoon Maiden. On the plus side, I didn't see any larger Aragami either. Normally, I'd find the silence welcoming, but given the situation we were in, I was not relieved at _all._

"Alisa, Kanon, Soma, over here! I found something!"

I turned and left to where Kota was calling me. He had his back to me and he was crouched over something on the ground. As I got closer, I could see that it was a big, triangular panel of black... was that metal? By the time I'd made it to him, I saw the item better. It was metallic alright, but it was slightly angled on the left and right sides, and had razor-sharp edges. _That's strange,_ I thought, _what kind of panel needs sharp edges?_

"What's this thing?" Kota reached down and grabbed the strange object before I could react with more than a stare. As soon as he touched it, I saw an arc of electricity snap out and catch him on the hand. "Ow! What the?!" he blurted as he pulled away with a start, "It shocked me!"

"Kota, are you alright? Get back!" I pulled him back from the offending panel as he rubbed his hand.

"Must've touched a live wire... ow..." he grumbled. Then, he looked at me and smiled sheepishly, "I'm fine, I was just surprised. Didn't expect _that!_ "

"There's no wiring or conduits... strange." Soma said.

I heard Kanon gasp in surprise."Don't touch anything!"

I looked over my back at her, "What?"

"Look, there's more of those things! They're stuck all over the walls and the floor!" I followed her gesturing and saw more of the panels wedged in the ground and the surroundings. Sparks sizzled and snapped in the air around them, creating the smell of ozone. I felt my hair stand on end from the static.

"That's not good..." Kota said in a low voice, "Where'd these come from?"

"They're everywhere..." Soma noted, "These things aren't manmade. They're too smooth. Look carefully, don't they look like scales to you?"

"Oh, you're right. It must be an Aragami!" Kota observed with a thoughtful hum, "But what kind of Aragami leaves electric scales all over the place like that? Anyone?"

If I was only concerned before, now I was suspicious. "I have a bad feeling about this. Stay close, everyone." As we carefully picked our way among the scales, I could see them sparking with greater intensity as I approached, and fade out as I left. I briefly wondered if the Aragami that used these was a spark type. I hoped not, as my current shield was weak to spark. Thinking of shields, I should be ready to defend myself if I need to. The thought crossed my mind that maybe the mystery Aragami can use these scales as some kind of projectile weapon. That would be an unpleasant surprise. I changed my God Arc to melee form as I took point and gingerly stepped across the ground. As I came out of the passageway, I could see a large, open area near the old church. At the far end of the field, I saw something burning. Through the flickering fire, I could make out the remains of a crumpled vehicle. I gasped in horror and put a hand to my mouth. The shocked cries of my companions told me that they saw what I did too.

"Oh no..." I charged towards the wreckage, hearing my allies pick up their pace behind me. I paused just before the ruin. Most people would have been driven back by the heat, but that wasn't a problem for a God Eater like me. If there was anybody unconscious or wounded in there, I was ready to brave the flames and rescue them. The thick smoke made it hard to see through, and I couldn't tell if there were survivors from here.

"I'll go! Cover me!" Before I could make a move, Soma had bolted and climbed into the wreckage.

"Hey, don't leave us behind!" Kota shouted as he raced after Soma.

"No!" I grabbed him by a shoulder, "Stay put, Kota!"

"But Alisa...!" Kota turned to the crash site, then gave me a pleading look. I shook my head. Kota gave me a frustrated expression in return, not that I blamed him.

"Fine. If he's not back in exactly one minute, I'm going in after him!" Kota barked angrily as he shot me a glare. I nodded my agreement, but did not take my eyes off the chopper. I was concerned for Soma too, but I also knew it was pointless for all of us to rush the chopper at once.

"Kanon, be ready to treat any wounded." I turned to our medic, who was already preparing supplies. She gave me an affirmative thumbs-up, and continued setting up her supplies. Several tense moments passed as we watched for any sign of Soma. Just as I was about to go after him, I saw Soma come rushing out of the chopper. My relief at seeing him changed to concern when I saw the shocked expression on his face.

Kanon was there in a flash. "Soma, are you alright? Don't do crazy stuff like that!"

"I'm fine," Soma cast an unreadable look to all of us one by one. He brushed Kanon's hand off his shoulder and turned to me. "There's one in there, but..."

"But, what? How come you didn't bring them out?!"

"Nobody survives being cut in two." Soma answered Kanon's question with that one sentence as he turned from the wreck. Everyone fell silent, exchanging somber looks. I didn't know what to say.

"I'm picking up two signals from nearby," I heard Hibari's voice over the radio again, "One belongs to a God Eater!"

"Really? That's weird," Kota said, "We're the only ones out here, right?"

"Apparently not. The signal is coming from those alleys to the north. The second signal I'm picking up is harder to decipher. It might be another God Eater, but it's hard to tell. It's coming from deeper in the city and I can't identify it..."

"Two God Eaters..." I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach and left what I was thinking unsaid. I _knew_ that SOS wasn't just a transport chopper. I was sure this had to be the chopper that was dropping off our two newcomers. But at least Hibari was picking up their signals, so they had to have survived the crash, right? Right. I allowed myself to focus on that. We might have one casualty, but we could still rescue these two.

I turned to my teammates, trying to put on my bravest face. I don't think I was entirely successful though. "Alright team, new plan. We'll stick together and comb the city for the missing God Eaters." Everyone nodded consent, still shocked into silence.

I lead my team silently through the alleys, tracing the one signal that I had a solid bead on. Apart from a brief warning from Soma to watch out for electric scales, nobody said a word. I assume everyone was too stunned by Soma's discovery to say much, God knows _I_ was. I closed in on the signal, checking in on Hibari's analysis periodically. I followed my map of the area, again noting how eerily quiet the place was. It was while I was referring to my map that I noticed a distant sound. I froze in place, trying to zero in on it.

"Why'd we stop, Alisa?"

"Quiet, Kota!" I commanded in a low voice as I raised a fist in a silencing motion. It was then that I heard the sound again. This time, I was sure it was a hiss. Was that an Aragami just now? I gestured for everyone to hide. Kanon and I hid along the edge of a semi-collapsed building, while Kota and Soma both ducked into a shadowed alley. It might be a good idea to provide some extra cover with my gun. As the only New-Type, I had the option. I decided against changing forms: it would get noisy and I risked drawing the newcomer's attention. Hopefully, Kota and Kanon could cover Soma and I.

What I saw next surprised me. A lone God Eater was coming up the alley. The dark-haired, brown-eyed boy was holding a Variant Scythe before him as he ran. He was stumbling a little, and he looked winded. He kept looking over his back, as if expecting pursuit. I noticed that he was injured a little.

Was that unknown Aragami responsible for his wounds? Or maybe he was hurt from the crash? Either way, I had to help. I came out from behind the wall and towards him, signaling my friends to do the same. The stranger turned to me with a small smile that fell to surprise as he saw me. Was it just me, or did he seem slightly disappointed? Yeah, just me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I greeted him, "I am Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, Acting Captain of the Far East's 1st Unit. We have orders to bring you to the Far East Branch."

"Phew, are you a sight for sore eyes. I thought I was going to have to do this alone..." He stood and looked us over for a moment before he replied, "My name's Jackal." The boy looked over his back, then to me again, "Hey, you didn't see a girl in a blue uniform with a blue implant running by, did you?"

Blue uniform and blue implant? I know I would remember if I saw someone like that. "No, we haven't seen anyone like that here."

"Is she your friend?" Kota asked, "We could help you look, right Alisa?"

"Of course we can," I answered, "We'll all help you. Where-?"

"We have to hurry," Jackal's face twisted in worry as he looked over his back again, "We were being chased by a giant Aragami."

"Giant Aragami?" Soma asked.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to chat, I have to find Robin! She's in trouble!"

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Soma grabbed Jackal by his shoulder as he nearly ran off, "There's a strange Aragami on the loose here. It's rumored to be-"

Jackal cut him off, "Invulnerable? Yeah, don't _I_ know it! We got separated while running away just now..."

We all exchanged looks. "Invulnerable... you don't think?"

I nodded once, verifying Kanon's question wordlessly. That had to be the "unknown Aragami" that Hibari was warning us about. But if Jackal's companion was being pursued by it, then ignoring that thing was no longer an option.

"We'll help you, of course." I nodded to affirm my answer, "Where did you last see her?"

"We got separated somewhere in these alleys. C'mon, help me look. She's all alone against that damn electric snake!"

Electric snake? If there was any doubt about the identity of the Aragami, it was now gone. Well, gone in that we knew this was the "unknown Aragami." I wondered if such a thing as an invulnerable Aragami existed, or if this was but a rumor. Another hiss roared out from the north. We all exchanged looks and ran to the source of the cry, not having the slightest clue what we were in for. All of us except for Jackal, that is. When he heard the hiss, I saw a look of fury and fear cross his face. He knew something about the creature, I was sure of it. There would be time for questions later. For now, we had to find the God Eater still missing: the girl Jackal had called Robin.


	4. Cornered

_Cornered_

I'd never been so scared in my whole life. I curled up in fear behind the rubble of a collapsed wall, waiting out the assault of the snake monster. _What a day it's been,_ I mused, _what a terrible, awful, horrid day._ I'd been uprooted from The Valley, nearly killed in a helicopter crash, and now I was staring the Reaper in the face, courtesy of a giant, invulnerable Aragami. I had no idea how long I'd been here. Was it minutes? Hours? I'd lost all sense of time. I noticed that I was no longer under attack. Was that thing out of scales? Was it even possible for an Aragami to run out of ammo? At any rate, it dawned on me that the snake had stopped firing scales at me.

As I pulled myself to a crouch, a small bolt shot out from a scale close to my hand and zapped me painfully. I withdrew my hand and sucked in a breath of surprise, but bit back a cry of pain. That snake may not be attacking me, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come back to finish me off if I made too much noise. I had to survive and get out of here and find Jackal.

Jackal... God, I hope he made it. The brief thought that the Aragami may have attacked him while I was just hiding occurred to me. I felt guilty and angry with myself. Why didn't I consider this earlier?! I wished I had access to a radio so I could at least tell him I'm alive and confirm the same for him. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves and calm down. Getting so mad at myself would not help me escape. I had to get out of this place first. Then,, and only then, I could focus on learning Jackal's fate. I also had to get back to the chopper. If the rescue team arrived before I could get out of this building, they may not be able to find me. I had to hurry, but I had to do it quietly.

I cautiously peered out from over the rubble and at the scene outside. Judging by my surroundings, I'd run into what was once an office building of some sort. Scales were embedded in collapsed desks and broken chairs. They covered the walls, the floors, even the ceiling was studded in the still sparking weapons. I slowly stood to my feet and scouted about without moving from my spot. The scales littered the ground like a bed of razors, glinting in the light ominously. I figured I could pick my way through the debris and make my way outside if I was careful. I stepped high to avoid touching the scales as I tried to walk through them. I felt like I was attempting to traverse a minefield. I inadvertently brushed against a scale, and the sharp edge cut into my right calf. Tears of pain rolled down my face, but I again resisted the urge to yelp. Before I could regain my nerve, the neighboring scales shot bolts off of one another, pinging back and forth and building in intensity.

I did not expect _that_ kind of attack! I panicked and spun, retreating behind a wall as a huge lightning bolt surged my way. It hit me from behind, slamming into my back like a kick from a giant. I screamed in pain and fell flat on my face. I've been hit with Aragami attacks of all kinds in my training. I've been burned, shocked, frozen, stabbed, blasted, slashed, poisoned, and bashed in all manner of ways before. But this time was different. It felt like my entire body had jolted and every muscle in my body had spasmed. For a moment, I was completely paralyzed. I couldn't feel my limbs. I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe. Luckily for me, the total paralysis wore off within a few seconds, but it left me with an awful tingling sensation. I was reeling and gasping for breath on the floor as I struggled to pull myself to my feet. My arms wobbled under me, then gave out. I took a few moments to pull myself together again before I tried to stand once more. This time, I was able to stand with great difficulty. I stumbled several steps before I got dizzy and had to brace against the wall.

Big mistake. As soon as my hand landed on the wall, my hair stood on end again and I sensed electricity rising in the air around me. I heard the snap and crackle of sparks building among the scales again. My eyes widened and I gasped. I guessed the scales could somehow sense nearby foes and lash out like this. I was still weak and woozy from the last blast: another like that might kill me! I had to run! I frantically scanned the room for an escape. My eyes settled on a staircase leading to an upper floor. Not ideal, but it'd have to do. I raced for the corridor as fast as my legs would carry me, suffering a few more slashes to my legs as I fled. No sooner than I reached the staircase, then a thundering boom roared out from behind me. I felt the sizzle of the racing thunderbolt as it zoomed mere inches from my face and burst against the far window, shattering it. I shielded my face as shards of glass went flying past me, slicing into my arms as they whizzed by. Roars of Aragami from outside answered the explosion, and I heard footfalls coming my way. I cursed myself for spoiling my brief respite. If I'd only known about that electric attack... I shook my head again. Now was not the time for musing about "what ifs." I had to focus on the here and now. I noticed that the distinct, hissing cry of the snake was not among the Aragami cries, and I had an idea. I briefly considered escaping through the window to face my new foes, but that option was cut off quickly as I thought of it.

All of a sudden, the snake's hiss roared out from somewhere beyond the window. So much for thinking it was gone. When the sound ended, I saw two Sariels at the window, almost as if summoned by the call! My eyes widened as one flared its wings in a threat display. I saw the second one charging its laser at me. If I couldn't run, I'd be dead meat for sure! I forced my limbs to move through the tingling pain and rushed up the stairs. Behind me, I heard the crack of the Sariel's laser exploding against the wall. I only barely made it to the ruins of the second floor when I heard a familiar roar directly behind me. I spun on my heel, and came fact-to-face with an Ogretail.

Normally, I wouldn't be that concerned about a lone Ogretail. I've killed dozens of these things before. My problem was that I was wounded, and weak from that electric blast I took. Not to mention the floor I wound up on opened up to a long, narrow hallway: I had very limited mobility here. Luckily, the same applied for the Ogretail. Surely it couldn't jump, pounce, or tailspin here. Then again, I didn't think I'd be able to pull off a Charge Glide here either. This battle was going to be a challenge...

The creature lunged at me, forcing me to fight. I backstepped and thrusted my spear to counter. I hit the Ogretail in the right eye. It screamed and charged, headbutting me before I could recover. I fell on my butt and dropped my spear. I tried to get my weapon, but the Ogretail headbutted me again and knocked me head over heels onto my back. It put a paw on my chest, looming over me like a shadow. I saw the Aragami tower over me, jaws wide for a killing bite. I screamed and covered my face, awaiting the inevitable...

O-O-O-O-O-O

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

I peered over the wall I was hiding behind as I scouted for any more Aragami. According to what Hibari reported, the signal we were tracking was close. That missing God Eater had to be inside that skyscraper. We had a serious problem though. Two Sariels, eight Zygotes, and two Ogretails had all broken into the building at once. If we went in there, we'd have a very hard battle on our hands. It wasn't the numbers or the species that were the problem: it was the terrain. The tight quarters would make our usual tactics useless, or even dangerous. And there was also the question of the mystery Aragami. The newcomer, Jackal, said that he and Robin tried to fight it earlier and that it seemed immune to anything they threw at it. It was apparently last seen chasing Jackal and Robin when they were fleeing. Nobody had any idea where it was now.

"We can't keep hiding here, Alisa. If Robin's in there, she won't be able to hold out forever," Soma stood up and cast a look at the skyscraper, "We have to make a decision."

I knew what Soma was saying, but I had to think this over carefully. One false move could be our last, especially considering this thing was "invulnerable." There could be no room for oversights or mistakes here. "I know. We can't risk getting ambushed by that new Aragami."

Jackal shot up, glaring at me and giving me a scowl, "Are you suggesting we just give up and leave Robin in there!? I won't have it!"

"Of course not! I told you we'd you two, help didn't I? Me and my team can take the rest of the Aragami down. It's that invulnerable snake we have to be careful with. We need to find out where it is so we can sneak around it and not get ambushed." I replied.

Jackal's face twisted in anger, but he nodded a response. "Alright, fine. I just can't stand the thought of her being trapped in there with all those Aragami! We have to do something!"

I felt a pang of guilt on seeing the face he made. I was probably coming across as cold right now, but that was far from the truth. I could empathize with Jackal; he was just worried for his friend. As I considered what to say to apologize, I suddenly noticed a shimmering in the air near the skyscraper.

I only had just enough time to register this before it materialized into an Aragami! It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The beast resembled a giant serpent, far larger than most Aragami. I guessed it was at least the size of an Ouroborus. It was covered in those black, sharp scales that I saw earlier. The monster had a huge, bladed implement on its tail easily a third of its body length. It looked like a sword, and I guessed it could be used like one. Its most striking feature, or features I should say, were its two heads. One head was flat and plate-like, sporting a set of huge, protruding fangs. It seemed blind, as I couldn't see any eyes. The other was pointed and agile-looking. It resembled a cobra, but I didn't see if it had a hood like one.

"Ah! Wh-where did _that_ come from?!" Kanon blurted.

"Sssh! Get down!" Soma hissed as he ducked back behind the rubble. I signaled for everyone to hide as the creature turned our way. I heard the beast hiss and move our way, its scales making a slight metallic noise as it moved. I pressed myself closer to the wall as I froze in place. Above me, the thing hissed again, then I heard it slither off somewhere. I peeked over the wall, only just enough to keep an eye on the thing. I saw it coil up by the entrance to the skyscraper, glaring at it with the cobra head, and raising its fanged head as if scouting.

"I don't remember it camouflaging before," Jackal whispered, "That's a new one on me."

"What do we do _now?_ " Kota asked, "It blocked the entrance..."

I hesitated to speak up. I had only one idea, and I hated the thought of it, much less the possibility. After nobody offered any plans, I finally spoke up, "We need a diversion. If we can drive it into the city, then we can raid the building."

"I'll do it." Soma stood and hoisted his God Arc to one shoulder, "I'll lure it into the alley while you-"

"No." Jackal stood up as well, "I've fought it before. I think I can manage. You guys head in and help Robin. I'll rendezvous with all of you by the chopper in ten minutes."

"Jackal, you can't do that! Your wounds aren't fully healed yet!" Kanon was protesting to thin air. Jackal had already leaped over the wall and towards the snake.

"That fool is going to get himself killed!" Soma growled, "Idiot!"

"Damn..." I rose to my feet, raising my God Arc, "We have no choice now. Move out when the snake follows Jackal!"

"What!" Kota shot me a shocked look, echoed by an equally horrified gasp from Kanon, "We're _abandoning_ him?!"

"Of course not! We'll find him when we've secured Robin!" Kota gave me a look of disbelief that slowly changed to a pained understanding as he nodded reluctantly. Jackal run in front of the snake, waving his God Arc. He then tore off into an alley as the snake snapped its tail over its head. A volley of scales sprayed out of its tail and headed straight for Jackal. He adeptly spun around and deployed his shield. Sparks flew out where the scales struck, but he seemed uninjured, for now. Jackal disappeared into an alley, with the snake chasing him and snapping its heads at him. I admit, Jackal's skill was impressive, but his recklessness was the worst! If Jackal survived this, I was going to give him a scolding he wouldn't soon forget! I shook my head and turned back to the building. We had one chance, and we had to be fast.

"Move out! Go!" I vaulted over the wall, my allies in close pursuit. I ran into the building, but was stopped in my tracks by an unexpected sight. More scales prickled the area, bristling like thorns. I didn't see any way through except to step carefully way across.

"Damn, it's like a minefield of blades in here!" Kota commented as he leaned back and forth and searched for a clear path, "They're everywhere...!"

"Don't touch any of them," Kanon warned, "Remember what happened last time?"

"Yeah, too well. I don't see an alternative though..." Kota looked reluctant to enter the scale-covered area. I grunted my discontent. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it either.

"Stop chattering about it and move your ass already!" Soma was already picking his way through the scales.

"Be careful everyone, we can't rescue the girl if we're wounded." I heard my team acknowledge me as I carefully stepped among the scales, noticing them glow and fade as I approached and left. I didn't want to find out what might happen if I accidentally touched one.

And then I learned what would happen the hard way. I took a misstep and a scale cut into my leg. I spat out a curse of surprise and pain as I recoiled. Right when I touched the scale, it started sparking. The electricity leaped from scale to scale, building in intensity as it snapped. My eyes widened in alarm, and I ran as fast as I could manage. Apparently, touching a scale caused it to react with its neighbors and strike out! I heard the crackling build in intensity and I feared it might fire soon. As I tried to pick up my speed, I couldn't avoid hitting another scale. I cried out at the slash, and I tripped as I tried to avoid a third one. Lucky for me, my fall caused the lightning behind me to miss. Even luckier, I'd narrowly avoided a grisly end by missing falling on a scale. I still felt the thunderbolt glance off my back and burn my back slightly.

"Get up! Nobody dies today!" I didn't even have time to pull myself up before Soma had pulled me to my feet. I tried to regain my balance, but my left leg was throbbing painfully and I stumbled.

"Argh, my leg...!" I gritted my teeth and tried to catch myself.

Soma grabbed me by my left arm and threw it over his shoulder as he turned over his back. "Hurry it up, you two! Especially you, Kanon! I think Alisa's leg is cut deep!"

Was it? I looked down at myself to see a long gash down my left calf. It didn't seem grievously deep, but it was bleeding a lot. I put a hand against it to try and staunch the wound and gritted my teeth at the pain. I looked back to my two teammates still caught in the scales.

"Ah! Yeow! Eek! I'm, ouch, coming!" Kanon yelped as she hopped among the scales. I could see she'd suffered several shallow cuts to her legs too. Kota wasn't unscathed either; I could see him flinch every time he accidentally hit a scale.

"Guys, be careful!" I felt immensely guilty for protesting about my leg when my team was also suffering. As they goose-stepped their way closer, I saw that both Kanon and Kota managed to escape the scales with only superficial injuries. I sighed in relief to see them okay.

"I'm here! Hold on!" Kanon was already gathering supplies as she spoke, "Soma, let's get her somewhere safer so I can bandage that leg!"

"But can you even move, Soma?" Kota looked at Soma worriedly, "You're hurt too..."

"Save it. I've lived through far worse, and you know it. Now let's get the hell out of the damn line of fire before they shoot lightning again!" Soma yelled as he started to drag me to a nearby staircase.

"Here, let me help you," Kanon came to my other side and grabbed my free arm.

"Thanks, Kanon," I said.

"It's what I'm here for, right? Now sit down on the stairs here and I'll fix your leg up." As I sat on the stairs and let Kanon treat my leg, I couldn't help feeling angry with myself. This mission was going all pear-shaped in a hurry. We had a civilian causality already, then Jackal went kamikaze, and now I've gotten myself badly hurt. Reporting this to Sakaki was going to be a nightmare...

Kanon hummed in satisfaction, and I snapped out of my fuming. "There, I've finished. Can you stand, Captain?"

I stood, gingerly testing my leg. It still hurt, but I could move well enough. "I think that'll hold for now. Thanks, Kanon."

"Glad to help. Now where-" Whatever Kanon was about to say was cut short by a scream from upstairs: a human scream! We exchanged brief looks before I shot up the stairs after the cry. At the top of the stairs, I gasped in horror at the sight before me.

A girl wearing a blue jacket and blue skirt was laying on her back, pinned under an Ogretail's paw. She was shielding her face with both arms, and I saw a blue implant on her right wrist. Blue uniform and blue implant: this had to be Robin! Robin looked like she was in serious trouble. The Ogretail had its jaws wide for a lethal bite.

I was not about to let that happen.

"AHHH!" I screamed out a battle cry and slammed my Long Sword into the Ogretail's back. My surprise attack was powerful enough to nearly split the creature down its spine. It slumped over on the floor, leaving a bloody and shocked God Eater staring up at us from the ground. For several seconds, the blue-eyed, green-haired girl simply blinked and stared at us as she slowly lowered her hands.

"You okay?" I asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Ah?" My question seemed to snap her out of her stunned staring, "I'm mostly okay. T-thank you..." she said quietly as she picked up her Charge Spear from where it seemed to have fallen, "You saved me." She tilted her head at me, giving me a child-like, innocent look that made me smile. This God Eater seemed to be my age, but her demeanor was so cute and naive that I couldn't help imagining her as a little girl half my age.

The cute look quickly changed to worry and she glanced back and forth. " Have you seen a brown-haired boy with a Scythe? He's my friend, and-"

"Is his name Jackal?" Soma cut in, continuing when she gave a surprised nod, "He asked us to find you. C'mon, we have to save his ass."

"Save him?" The girl's face changed to an intensifying concern, "From what? What happened?!"

"That damn fool lured an Aragami away from us so we could help you." Soma answered.

"What!?" Robin covered her mouth, then shook off her shock and shoved past us, "No! I have to help him!"

"Wait, Robin! We'll help you!" I wasn't sure she heard me. She was already tearing down the stairs. I rushed after her, but she paused mid-way down the staircase and turned.

"Um... I'm sorry to ask favors out of strangers, but I have to ask... will you help me find him?"

"Of course, but you have to promise not to run off like your friend did, got it?" Robin nodded at my request. "Good. Then let's track that crazy friend of yours down."


	5. Escape from the City

_Escape From the City_

I was so relieved to finally have some backup. As we made our way carefully down the stairs, the pale-haired girl who saved me took the lead. She quickly changed her God Arc to gun form and looked behind her. "Be ready guys. I don't think we've seen the last of those scale traps yet."

"As long as it's not that damn snake again, I can handle it. Worry about the new kid." The hoodie-clad boy replied.

"Hey, speaking of you," the brightly-dressed gunner looked at me, "I don't think we got the chance to introduce ourselves, did we?" he extended a hand to me with a friendly grin, "Name's Kota Fujiki. I take it your name's Robin?"

I felt kind of stupid just now. I was so focused on finding Jackal that my manners completely failed me for a minute there. "Robin is my codename. My name is Reiko Kimura. Call me Robin." I shook Kota's hand with a small smile.

The pink-haired girl strolled up to me with a cheerful face, "I'm Kanon Daiba, and I'm a field medic in the Second Unit. I'm glad we found you." I shook her hand, and she put a hand on my shoulder, "Cheer up, Robin. We'll find that friend of yours."

"Thanks..." I smiled and nodded my head, feeling slightly better at the encouragement.

"Assuming he still lives." The blonde said curtly. There went my smile. The thought that Jackal might have been killed by that snake while trying to save me... I bit my lip to hide a frown, but I think the other girl noticed my reaction.

"Hey, don't say that to her!" the New-Type scolded at him, but only got a grunt in reply. She looked to me and sighed. "Typical Soma, what a ray of sunshine. I wish he could be just a little bit optimistic for a change."

Soma snorted, giving her a cold glare. "The fact is that Jackal might be dead. Pretending the world is all rainbows and unicorns won't change the facts. It's not my fault the truth isn't all good news."

Alisa rolled her eyes at Soma's remark. "And that would be Soma Shicksal. He's actually friendlier than he seems, so don't let his attitude get to you." Her comment earned an exasperated grunt out of Soma, who had walked away to look out a shattered window. Alisa's expression became softer, and she held a hand to me next, "I am Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, acting Captain of the First Unit. Welcome to the First Unit, Robin."

The Captain, huh? I figured I should put on my best manners if she was going to be my superior. I took a respectful bow and accepted her handshake, "Thank you, Captain. I am glad to meet you, and everyone else as well. I hope we can get along."

"What's with that formality?" Alisa nudged me slightly, "You don't need to be uptight with us. We're a team, not a drill formation, so try to relax a little."

I straightened up and saw Alisa giving me a light smile. I found myself relaxing my stance slightly and returning the smile. "I'll try. Thank you, Captain."

"And start by calling me Alisa, okay?" she turned from me and continued down the staircase, "Now let's find your friend. He's probably fine."

I nodded my acknowledgment but I still felt down. I know Alisa was just trying to cheer me up, but I had to be realistic. Soma was right: ignoring the facts was no way to face the truth. Still, I felt absolutely awful. If only I hadn't got stuck in this stupid skyscraper, then he'd be safe... _we'd_ be safe. Stupid skyscraper. Stupid Aragami. Stupid crash. I hated this...

As we came back to the first floor, I noticed the entry where I ran in earlier was now peppered with scales. Maneuvering through that without touching a scale was going to be a nightmare. I turned to the shattered window and carefully peeked outside. Luckily, there was no sign of the Sariels from earlier, and I sighed in relief. "I think this way's clear. We should go this way."

Alisa nodded. "Good idea. Wandering without any direction will be dangerous. Hang on..." I briefly wondered what Alisa was up to before she spoke again, "Hibari, can you get a reading on Jackal's location?"

I heard an unfamiliar voice come over the comm, "I have two confirmed signals. One is definitely Jackal. The other is a massive Oracle signature matching the profile for that unknown Aragami."

I felt my spirits rise. Oh, I hoped that was true! "Then Jackal's alive?"

"I only have his location for sure. His signal was moving as of a minute ago, so he might be hiding." I heard Hibari gasp all of a sudden. "Wait a second... it disappeared?"

"What do you mean, 'it disappeared?' Explain." Soma replied as a dark look crossed his face.

"No...!" Kanon gasped.

"Seriously?!" Kota blurted.

"What!?" Alisa shouted.

I was utterly speechless and I raised my hand to my mouth in shock. Were we already too late?!

"I still have a strong bead on Jackal's signal. The Aragami signal was what vanished! Sorry." Hibari said. I let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought she was talking about Jackal!

"So the snake is gone? Good." Kanon seemed relieved, "Now we can focus on finding Jackal."

Soma still seemed bothered. "Don't be so sure. Remember when it just appeared out of thin air? Stay sharp."

"Out of thin air?" I asked. What in the world was Soma talking about?

"Yeah, that thing can camouflage or something. We saw it literally show up out of nowhere earlier." Kota cast a look at the alleys further ahead. "We last saw Jackal running this way. Let's go."

I felt a growing sense of doom. We had to find him soon. Without another word, I ran after the others. I tried to keep my mind on finding Jackal, but my thoughts went wild. Was he trapped, just as I was earlier? Was he hurt? Or worse... was what Soma was implying earlier right after all?

My fears were relieved when I heard a familiar voice behind me, "Hello? Is that you guys?"

I looked behind me and saw Jackal emerge from behind a pile of rubble. I was so glad to see him that I ran up to him and hugged him. "Jackal! You're alive!"

"Yeah... I'm okay." Jackal threw a hand around my shoulder and returned my hug. I could feel him relax a bit in my arms as he chuckled in nervous relief, "I'm glad you're safe. I thought that thing had you!"

"I thought the same thing happened to you! I was so scared...!" I was so happy that tears started to flow from my eyes. "I took some nasty hits, but I'm alive. Thanks to you, I'm told."

"See? Told you he was alive." Alisa said as she and the others came over to us.

"So... can we just go home?" Jackal looked at everyone one by one with a relieved grin, "I'm beat."

"Jackal!" We both looked up, startled by Alisa's sharp voice, "Don't think you're off the hook! What were you thinking, running off like that?!"

"I... don't get so upset!" Jackal and I both stiffened at her words as I protested, "The most important thing is that we're all alive, right?"

"I'm not mad at you, Robin. You weren't the one who acted so _rashly!_ " Alisa glared pointedly at Jackal with a hand on her hip.

Jackal only maintained eye contact for a moment before he lowered his head and scratched his ear. I recognized that gesture all too well. That was the same way he'd act around Viper when he'd scold us. "Yeah, maybe in hindsight that wasn't my best plan. I guess I thought I could lose it and rejoin you guys later... I'm sorry. I own that one."

"If you mean it, then good. Just don't do that again, got it?" Alisa continued.

"Hey, can the lecture wait? I'd rather get to the chopper." Kota cut in.

"You two both got off pretty damn lucky, considering what that thing's capable of," Soma still seemed on edge. He kept looking down the alley, as if watching something.

Alisa paused for a moment, then nodded. "I agree with Kota for once. Let's get the hell out of this nightmare."

Soma suddenly raised his God Arc to a ready position and shot another stare down the alley. "Damn, something's still here!"

"What?!" I only had the time to ask before a gleam caught my eye. A by now familiar rain of scales shot my way, and we all hit the floor. The scales shot just overhead and embedded themselves in the path behind us. I raised my head and saw that the only exit was now blocked by dozens of those electric scales. If I had the time to move carefully I might be able to make it through unharmed, but that snake had suddenly appeared at the opposite end of the alley. We were now pinned between it and the minefield of scales.

"Shit! That thing ambushed us!" Soma spat as he shot to his feet, "We're trapped!"

I stared in astonishment at the Aragami. It must have been hiding here the entire time. It could've just killed Jackal earlier, but it chose to hide instead. It had the advantage of its apparent invulnerability, so why did it hold back until now? I had one answer, but I was loathe to consider it. Did that thing deliberately pause here just to trap us?

"No way!" Kota voiced what I was thinking, "Was it waiting for us all along?!"

"Is it really invulnerable?" Kanon changed bullets in her gun, "I have a bunch of different emitters ready for this monster!"

"I've tried my Spear and my emitter. Jackal also tried mortars and melee. Nothing we did did anything!" I swallowed hard and readied my God Arc in front of me as I backed towards the scales, "Anyone got any ideas?"

"Just one..." Soma cocked back his God Arc and took a ready stance. "Its scales are acting like armor. If its armor breaks, maybe we can finally kill this bastard."

"I see, maybe one by one isn't enough. Let's let it have all we can throw at it in one volley!" Alisa seemed to think Soma's plan was worth a try, and she changed her weapon to Gun Form. "Guns up everyone! Soma, fall back and be ready to give it a good slashing once we break it!"

I nodded and changed my own weapon to gun as Jackal did the same. It didn't work last time, but what did I stand to lose by trying? The snake slithered our way, holding its stance high like a victorious gladiator. I'd swear the thing looked almost cocky as it slowly slinked our way. I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth in defiance. I armed my strongest emitter and let it have several point-blank Divine blasts as Jackal fired a multitude of mortars of his own. Kota fired some kind of multi-shot Blaze laser, Alisa fired a flurry of Frost mortars, and Kanon launched a huge Spark emitter. All of our shots struck simultaneously, and the snake was engulfed in a flurry of energy. The snake flinched and recoiled. I took a moment to check if I had any O-Ampules and cursed my luck when I found that I had none on me. I forgot that my supplies were destroyed in the crash. By the time I looked back up, I saw the thing had recovered. It reared both heads and snapped right at me. I back-stepped and tried to dodge. My leg was slashed by the edge of a scale again cutting my leg deep. I screamed in pain and fell to one knee.

"Robin?!" I heard Jackal shout, "Get up!"

I struggled to stand, but my leg would not hold. Every time I tried to stand, my left calf exploded in searing pain and I collapsed again. I heard energy sizzle behind me, and I instantly knew the scales were charging. I forced myself up one more time, but I still couldn't stand. I felt somebody grab me by the arm and yank me aside right as a lightning bolt roared past my head. Though I missed getting fatally hit, I still felt the burn of the glancing shot. I heard the snake scream, and that made me look up. The lightning had hit the snake in the hooded head, and its scales looked cracked there. A flame of hope lit up inside me as I realized, this thing was _not_ invincible: it could be injured after all!

"Are you okay, Robin?!" I looked to my side and saw that it was Kanon who had dragged me aside. She was looking me over with a look of increasing concern. "You can't stand can you?" I shook my head, and she continued, "Hold on. I'll see what I can do for you. Don't move." Kanon gently lowered me to the ground and changed to a healing emitter. Just before she could fire, I saw the snake raise its tail and take aim at Kanon's back!

"Kanon!" I screamed, "Look out!" Before I could do more than shout, Soma struck from behind, striking with a full-force slam to its midsection. That kind of blow looked easily powerful enough to cut lesser beasts in two, but his blade only screeched off its back.

"The hell? How!?" Soma's shock at being deflected left him wide open for a counter. The snake deftly tail-slapped him aside the way a human might swat an irritating bug and reared its heads at Kanon and I again. Alisa leaped in the way, deploying her shield as she stood in front of us. One head scraped aside, but the other managed to land a bite to Alisa's side. Kota responded by firing another barrage of lasers, but all this did was to cause the snake to glare his way. He could not dodge a slap from the snake's sword, and he was flung against the side of a building with a shriek of pain.

I sensed electricity building near me again. I saw the panicked faces of my team, all twisted in utter dismay, and I felt something snap inside me. I acted on impulse and grabbed a nearby scale. I screamed a feral cry and threw it like a discus at the Aragami, hoping to distract it again. I saw the scale I threw slam into the snake's skull, sending a shower of hot sparks raining down. The beast roared in fury and flailed its heads, suddenly vanishing. I could hear its slithering grow distant and fainter as the snake retreated. I could only gape after the beast, speechless. I stared cautiously off in the direction of the snake's retreat with my pulse pounding in my ears and my adrenaline pumping. Did we do it at last? Was this finally over?

"We... we did it! Haha, we made it flee!" Kota started laughing nervously, "Up yours, you overgrown worm!"

"We drove it off somehow..." Soma said simply, "Damn, what a beast!"

"Robin!" Jackal rushed over to me and knelt by my side. I noticed that both he and Kanon looked very concerned for me. If the faces Jackal and Kanon were making were any indication, I was in far worse shape than I thought...

"We meed a medical chopper!" Alisa called into her radio, "We have multiple severe injuries and one God Eater Down!"

Multiple injuries!? I looked up at my allies. Nobody _seemed_ seriously wounded, but they were all exhausted and doing a good job hiding the extent of their pain. Everyone was giving me worried looks, especially Alisa and Jackal. I instantly felt a terrible pang of guilt. How could I have dragged everyone down like this? If only I could've been more careful...

"That was some kind of crazy luck, huh Robin?" Kanon gave me a reassuring smile as she started treating my leg, "I don't think that snake will be back for seconds anytime soon, thanks to that wild idea of yours."

"What the hell made you do something like that anyway? You could've been shocked or cut you know." This from Soma.

"I... don't know. I just... did it." I answered honestly.

"We need to get her out of this alley and into the open so we can get her airlifted," Alisa said as she looked over her back. I couldn't blame her for being jumpy, as I was still shaking from fear and the rush of battle, and I was starting to feel dizzy from the adrenaline wearing off. Or was it due to my injuries? I couldn't tell; I was numb from the aftermath of everything.

"Is she stable enough to move, Kanon?" Alisa asked.

Kanon nodded, but she still looked very upset. Was I really that bad off? "I've bandaged the worst of her wounds, but she's suffered deep lacerations to both legs. She won't be able to walk through those scales on her own, and they're too tightly packed to move through as a group..."

"Then there's one thing we have to do, right?" Jackal stood and started grabbing scales. Every one he touched snapped and zapped at his arms and hands as he lifted each and started clearing a path. Between grunts of pain, he called, "Come on and help me."

Soma, Kota, and Alisa all went over and joined Jackal in moving the scales. Kanon stayed with me and treated my wounds. I was really starting to get woozy. I kept fading in and out of consciousness and I was having trouble following what was happening. At some point, I had the vague sensation of being carried someplace. Scenes came to me in haphazard bits and pieces that made little sense, and I lacked the energy to figure it out. I eventually felt myself being lowered onto something soft. A cot maybe? I thought I also heard a helicopter, but I wasn't sure of that either.

My last clear memory was of Jackal speaking to me. "We're finally safe. We're going to the Far East. You can rest now, Robin." Somebody was stroking my cheek gently as I faded into unconsciousness again. I wanted to believe it was Jackal, and let myself imagine it was him as exhaustion overwhelmed me.


	6. A Plan of Attack?

_A Plan of Attack?_

It had been only one day since that rescue mission, and I was still exhausted. Both Jackal and Robin were still in the infirmary. Robin... she hadn't even regained consciousness yet. I couldn't help being worried about her, but the doctors told me that she should recover eventually. As for Jackal, he seemed like he was in far better condition. I was told that he'd be out of there in a few days. I felt terrible about this. Everyone kept telling me that it wasn't my fault, but it didn't make me feel much better. I'm supposed to be Captain for goodness sake! I had to take responsibility.

As I came into the Director's office, I took a seat in one of the chairs and reviewed my notes again. I looked up from my tablet at the others. I saw Soma, Kota, and Kota were already here, making small talk. Well, Kanon and Kota were chatting; Soma had his head buried in his hood, and seemed disinterested in the conversation as usual. I noticed that the Director was missing though. I frowned and looked around, but saw no sign of Sakaki yet. It was a little strange. He was the one who asked us to review this with him, so where was he?

"I see you three got ahead of me," I commented as I took a seat.

"Sup, Alisa," Kota waved from his chair.

"Hello, Alisa!" Kanon greeted with one of her trademark smiles, "How'd last night treat you?"

"Terrible." I answered honestly, "I kept having some nasty dreams about that snake. I hope I didn't make you guys wait on me."

Kanon shook her head, "Not really. I only just got here a minute ago. I think Kota and Soma were waiting on us though..."

"Not really," Kota said through a yawn, "I kinda overslept because I couldn't sleep last night. Had too much on my mind."

Soma shook his head, "You are all too damn soft. You can't let crap like this get under your skin all the time. Especially you, _Captain._ "

I only had the time to glare at Soma before I heard the door open. "I'm here!" Director Sakaki ran in from the hall and suddenly ran inside, "Sorry I'm late! Had things to do, logs to study, a lot on my plate to deal with." Without missing a beat, he took his seat behind the desk and continued, "So, if everyone's here, let's review what happened on that last mission."

"Do we really have to?" Kota whined, slumping in his seat, "I don't want to even think about yesterday..."

Kanon groaned dramatically, "Me neither! That was terrible and I never want to see another snake as long as I live!"

"Same here..." I agreed. If I had my way, I'd forget yesterday ever happened. I knew playing ostrich wouldn't make the problem of the invincible Aragami go away. That was why I was attending this meeting; to pool our knowledge, report to Sakaki about the mission, and discuss what to do about the monster.

Sakaki nodded in understanding, "I can't say I blame you. You all went through a lot yesterday. I need your reports on what happened. That's why I called you four here. So let's start with what we already know. I read Alisa's report. That SOS call yesterday involved our two new recruits, yes?" I nodded and the Director continued, "From what I understand, their chopper was shot down by an unidentified Aragami. It appears as a huge, black, two-headed serpent with a bladed tail.

"This new Aragami exhibits a number of troubling attributes: an extremely aggressive and intelligent nature and seems capable of planning its tactics to some degree. Its abilities seem to include an EMP field, stabbing with its tail, biting, and most notably, the ability to camouflage itself at will. It also seems able to fire electrified scales at will from its tail. These scales have been known to act as a razor-sharp trap, and to fire lightning bolts if touched. Am I right so far?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, "I have to say its most annoying trait is its immunity to most attacks."

He nodded once and continued, "And yet you managed to hurt the creature somehow."

"Getting injured made it flee. I don't think that thing expected someone to use its own weapons on it!" Kanon added in.

Sakaki looked to Kanon, then the rest of us, all with great interest, "I read as much from Alisa's report, but I'd like details if you will."

"It was actually Robin's idea. She threw one of the scales at the snake and hit it right in one of the heads," I replied, "After getting hit, it vanished. We didn't see it go, but we did hear it as it retreated."

Sakaki hummed thoughtfully, "Interesting. So it is not invulnerable to its own scales. Fascinating. Maybe we can use this knowledge to defeat that Aragami for good."

"Then there's no time to waste." Soma rose from his seat, "If we have a way to kill it, then we're wasting time. Let's head out and end that beast."

"Wait, Soma!" I grabbed Soma by a shoulder as he tried to leave.

He turned and shot me a glare, "What?!"

I wasn't unfamiliar with that look. It was the same face he'd make whenever he thought someone was acting stupid. I took a deep breath to regain my nerve. "If all we do is throw scales at it, that won't be effective. Plus, we run the risk of injuring ourselves by touching them."

"And I suppose you have a better idea?" Soma snapped back, "That thing has killed far too many people! It needs to be-"

"Don't be impulsive, Soma." I turned back to Sakaki, who had stood up and approached us, "Alisa's right. We have a possible way to kill Tsuchinoko, but no solid plan of attack."

"Soo-chee-whatzit?" Kota piped up.

Sakaki hummed once, "Tsuchinoko is what I have named this Aragami; after a youkai that appears as a fat-bodied snake and is know for its lying, trickery, and deceit. I thought the name suited an Aragami of this... cunning."

"Tsuchinoko..." I repeated. Somehow, naming this thing made it seem even more ominous and I shuddered slightly in spite of myself. "I suppose that fits."

"Soma's got a point too," Kanon added, "If we ignore Tsuchinoko, then it'll keep killing. Plus, it seems able to command other Aragami. It may lead a mass attack if we don't do _something..._ "

Nobody spoke for several long moments. Then Sakaki finally said, "We need a sample of Tsuchinoko's armor. If we can identify what property the scales have have that can injure Tsuchinoko..."

"Then we can make something to kill it with!" Kota finished, seeming excited all of a sudden.

"Exactly." Sakaki nodded and looked to me, "I you to take another mission. Not today, that would not be good. I bet you are all still exhausted after what you went through yesterday. You'll have a week to recover, then we'll do some research!"

Once a scientist, always a scientist. Though Director of the Far East, he was still a scholar at heart. Some things never change... I nodded my acknowledgment, "Thank you, Director. We'll take the time to rest."

"Then do so. Dismissed!" Sakaki answered. We all stood and left the Director's office.

"Alright, break time!" Kota beamed, "Hey, Alisa, Kanon, Soma? Wanna go watch some Bugarally with me? I bought extra snacks."

"Snacks? Ooh, count me in~!" Kanon chirped with a giggle. "Soma? Alisa?"

"Not on your life. I have better things to do." Soma said, "If you need me, I'll be in the training room." He turned and left for the elevator as he spoke.

"Party pooper." Kota protested, staring off after him. He then looked to me with a hopeful look, "Alisa? C'mon, join me?"

I shrugged noncommittally, "Ah, why not. I need to take my mind off that Tsuchinoko thing."

Kota seemed surprised, and burst out into a huge grin after regaining his wit. "Seriously? Awesome! Meetcha at my place in an hour! Gotta run and get ready for the party!" At that, Kota rushed off and down the hallway out of sight.

Kanon tilted her head quizzically, "What's up with Kota all of a sudden?"

"No idea. I have some paperwork to fill, so I'll catch you later, Kanon." I left for my room to finish my paperwork. I wasn't an otaku like Kota was, but I really did need to take my mind off things for a bit. We had a week to get back on our feet, and I was more than happy to oblige in some R&R. God knows we deserved it.


	7. Reprieve

_Reprieve_

A cool breeze caressed my cheek as a familiar scent of flowers greeted my nose. I remembered this place. It was that sakura glade I loved to visit back at the Valley. Birds were chirping in the trees, and I was struck by a sudden urge to draw, and I reached for my sketchbook. A distant part of me thought something was not right, but just as quickly as it came, I didn't care anymore. This was peaceful, nice, beautiful, and I didn't mind staying here forever. I looked into the trees, spotting a good half-dozen robins. A smile crossed my face. My favorite bird, and there were so many too! Seeing this many was rare these days. I smiled and started drawing them. Noises from the distance reached my ears, but I ignored it and continued my art. I heard it again, closer this time, and I looked up from my drawing.

"Don't sneak up on me, Commander!" I grumbled as I stood to my feet, "It's my break time... huh?"

I realized someone was coming my way. I first thought it was Commander Viper, but it couldn't be. The figure not dressed like him, and looked too young. As the person came my way, I realized that I'd never seen this kid before! I took a step back as the dark-haired boy came my way. He paused for a moment, then approached again. I once again took a step back. Who was this person? Why was he here?

"Hello?" the boy asked me and tried to come closer.

A stranger! I backed up again, but the boy kept coming closer every time I moved. He was starting to weird me out. "Who are you?" I asked?

My question seemed to confuse him. "Who am I? Good question. I just woke up and started wandering around. I have no idea where I am..."

Suspicious, very suspicious. I backed up more, but he kept up with me perfectly. "Where are you going?" he asked, "Just tell me-"

"I... I don't know you!" I stuttered a bit as I accidentally backed into a tree. "Commander Viper! Commander Viper!" Getting poked so suddenly startled me, and I spun and ran back towards the facility. Strangers in this area were rare, rare enough that I could count on one hand the number of times it'd happened. Commander Viper needed to know about this, right now! I thought I heard the boy shouting behind me and giving chase, so I picked up my pace.

"Robin... Robin..."

Who was that? That voice was familiar... My surroundings became less and less real as I puzzled it out.

"Can you hear me?"

Jackal. The word came to me unbidden. Why? What...?

"Robin! Come on, give me some kind of sign here..." Jackal! I remembered now! It was the voice of my best friend! Jackal was worried about me...

"Please wake up, open your eyes." I became aware of someone holding my hand in theirs. But why was jackal telling me to wake up?

As awareness returned to me, I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry and ill-adjusted to the light in here. I groaned and scrunched my face against the unwelcome brightness. Squinting against the light, I opened my eyes again. I saw that I was lying in a cot in a white-walled room. I slowly became aware of more and more details. I was hooked up to several machines that I didn't understand. Those I did understand: a heart monitor and an iv drip, gave me a clue as to where I was. I was in an infirmary. Now why the heck was I in... that's right, that mission with the snake. I passed out after the fight. And now my whole body hurt in a way I didn't know was possible. Was I still wounded? I was stiff and a little lethargic too. How long had I been here anyway?

"Robin!" I felt my hand being squeezed gently, and I turned my head to the voice. I saw Jackal sitting beside my bed, holding my hand in his. I saw him with a concerned look on his face that changed to relief on seeing me wake up.

"Jackal?" My voice sounded hoarse and weak to my own ears, but it was enough to get a response out of Jackal. Jackal's relieved expression changed further to a pleased face.

"Welcome back, sleepyhead." Jackal piped up with his signature lighthearted smile. I couldn't restrain a smile of my own. It fell a notch when I noticed he was in a hospital gown too. Had he been injured too? I propped myself up to a sitting position to get a better look at him. Well, I _tried_ to anyway. My arm wobbled under me, and Jackal's grip tightened on my hand.

"What do you think you're doing? You just woke up, so don't get up yet." He lowered me slowly back down to a laying down position, and I let him do it. I was learning the hard way that I had the muscle strength of a teddy bear right now.

"How... long have I... been here?" I asked.

"I'm told it's been five days since that fight with Tsuchinoko." Jackal shook his head, "But that's not important. You should just keep resting."

"Tsuchinoko?" I repeated.

"I'm told that's what they named that snake that almost killed us. Seems it was once the name of some local demon or something." Jackal smirked mischievously, "I'd have called it 'pain in the ass.'"

I chuckled a bit at his joke. "You got _that_ right... I'll feel this one for a while. But five days? I've been unconscious for five days?"

Jackal's face fell a little. "Yeah. I was out for three. They were having a hard time with your wounds and..." He shook his head and his face brightened. "Never mind that depressing stuff. I'm so glad you're alright!"

I returned the smile. "I'm glad you're okay too."

"Didn't I tell you to stay in bed? You're incorrigible!"

I turned to the new voice. A black-haired woman wearing a revealing green halter and long-slitted skirt was walking in. She paused by my bed and put a hand on her hip, "That's the second time in as many days now. Don't you ever want to get better?"

"Crap, busted again..." Jackal grinned sheepishly, "I can explain, Sakuya."

"Who is that?" I asked, "One of the doctors?"

"Close. I'm Sakuya Tachibana, second-in-command of the First Unit." Sakuya raised her right hand, and I saw a red armlet on her wrist. "I'm a God Eater, just like you two. I'm a field medic by trade, and I've been asked to keep an eye on you two." Sakuya cast a meaningful look to Jackal, "Your friend is a handful. He won't stay put. He keeps sneaking out of bed to check on you."

Jackal's face was a little defensive. "I was worried about her. Got a problem with that?"

"No, of course not." I noticed that Jackal was still holding my hand. Jackal seemed to notice this at the same time and quickly let go of me. Sakuya seemed to be amused and chuckled a little. "You two must be close, huh?" I nodded and felt my face redden a bit. She was starting to get a little personal.

Sakuya looked between us then said, "That reminds me, I have to ask you something. Its about your condition..."

I wrinkled my brow. If she was a medic, then she's probably already figured it out, so why did she need to ask me? "My condition? I just know I was unconscious, and my legs really hurt..."

Sakuya looked to Jackal and was about to say something to him. I shook my head. "It's alright," I replied with another smile, "I don't mind him being here. What is it?"

Sakuya's kind smile grew serious. "Your wounds were reopening and making you bleed out. That was happening a lot more than normal. Do you have some kind of medical condition that would affect that, like hemophilia?"

I looked uncomfortably between Jackal and Sakuya. I had a feeling this would come up one day, but I dreaded it all the same. Sakuya's suspicions were correct, but I couldn't make myself say it and all I could do was nod once.

It wasn't something I brought up often because people always treated me like some fragile rose afterward. I became a God Eater for two reasons. One was because I came from a poor family living in one of the satellite bases. We were always running out of money, and I would work odd jobs to help pay off my medical bills. When my family learned I was a match for the God Eater program, and that Fenrir would pay off all my bills, they wasted no time in "volunteering" me. It turned out that becoming a God Eater would give me a regenerative ability that effectively nullified my condition. I wouldn't heal quite as fast as other God Eaters, but I could at least match "normal" people now.

As for the second reason I became a God Eater, well... that was an entirely different matter for another time.

"You're going to take me off the front lines, aren't you?" I asked sadly, "I promise I'll do my very best, so please give me a chance!"

"I don't think its serious enough to merit a drastic move like that, but you _do_ need to be more careful out there, alright?" I nodded, pleased to hear her response. I was sure I would be demoted from the extermination division when my hemophilia came to light, so when Sakuya said that, I was surprised and relieved.

"Alright, good. Now as for you..." Sakuya turned to Jackal, who had already stood back up with some difficulty.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Back to bed..." he said in resignation.

"And stay there this time!" Sakuya scolded, "Don't make me use the bed restraints."

Jackal froze mid-stride and turned back around, looking startled. "Restraints?!"

Sakuya chuckled. "That was a joke. But I meant it when I said to stay in there, got it?"

"I know." he replied as he returned to a bed near mine. The thought that they put Jackal right across from me was both a relief and slightly embarrassing. I wondered if he really did spend all that time just concerned about me, and I felt a sudden pang of guilt at making him worry. "I have to go prepare some plans for a mission, alright? Just keep resting for now."

"A mission already?" Jackal asked.

Sakuya nodded and looked at the both of us. "Director Sakaki wants some of us to gather some scales from Tsuchinoko and research what property made them able to harm that snake. He was inspired by what you did to it, Robin. We have you to thank for that discovery. I'll let you two rest now." Sakuya stood up and looked at me, "I don't want to hear you tried to get up while I'm gone either, got it? Stay put."

I nodded in response. I wasn't interested in walking anyways. She smiled my way and left, leaving me to ponder what was ahead. A mission to collect scales from Tsuchinoko... I couldn't help feeling an ominous sense about that. I really hoped they weren't all about to make a terrible mistake.


	8. Test Run

_Test Run_

 **Two days later…**

"Where are you going? You know you should still be in bed!"

I stared in surprise at Sakuya, who had stepped in my way as I tried to leave the infirmary. I thought I had been quiet. I even managed to get changed into my uniform without anyone noticing me, which made the medic's sudden appearance all that much more surprising.

I'd heard rumor that Jackal was on a mission with another God Eater, and I couldn't stop wondering about him. _Everything's going to be okay,_ I kept thinking, _He's a good fighter. He'll be just fine…_ But I couldn't stop worrying. That was why I thought I'd go for a walk or something and take my mind off this. My legs still hurt when I moved the wrong way, but I was getting restless: I couldn't stay still. I just kept replaying that last mission out in my head over and over again.

 _It's not your fault,_ I tried to assure myself, _That could've happened to anybody._ But who was I kidding? If I hadn't gotten separated, if I hadn't got trapped in that skyscraper, then I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid sick bay and nobody would've gotten hurt either. I had to get my focus back. If I messed up again, I might not be so lucky.

I really wished I had my drawing supplies. That'd be perfect at a time like this. Maybe I'd head out and explore this place a bit. Of course, that was assuming Sakuya wasn't about to force me back to my bed.

"I… I was just going to go for a walk, that's all." I said as I tried to hide a fidget.

Sakuya put a hand on her hip, "You're not very good at lying. You keep wringing your hands. Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

That Sakuya was very perceptive! I was surprised at how easily she saw through me. I decided to tell her the truth. "I have a lot on my mind. I need to get out.

Sakuya smiled kindly at me. "I get it. You've been through a lot these past few days, haven't you? Well, why don't I give you a proper tour while we're walking?"

"We?" I asked.

Sakuya nodded. "I'll come with you, just in case your injuries reopen again. Besides, you look like you need to relax."

"I'll be fine," I reassured, "I just need to tough it out. I can manage."

Sakuya's smile turned into a laugh. "You and Jackal both have that same stubborn streak. It's like you're related."

I shook my head. "No. We just trained together. He's my best and only friend."

"Your only friend? That's got to be lonely." I shuffled my feet at Sakuya's comment. She was starting to get personal again. Or, maybe I was just getting shy. Yeah, that was probably more it. When I only responded with silence, Sakuya said, "Well, let's go for that walk then. I'll introduce you to some of the Far East crew. I think you'll hit it off with at least some of us."

Maybe, I didn't know. I wasn't in a social mood right now, and her habit of getting a little nosy was uncomfortable. But Sakuya wasn't wrong. I _was_ a little lonely, especially right now. As I followed Sakuya down the hall and towards an elevator at the end, I saw the doors open all of a sudden. A familiar dark-haired boy was in the elevator. I couldn't help smiling at Jackal's surprised expression.

He recovered from his surprise quickly. "Robin? What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be resting?"

I gave him a smile. "I can't just stay in bed forever. I'll get soft and fat."

He laughed a little. "Ha, that's more like the Robin I know. You're getting your pep back. But seriously, are you up for it?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was starting to feel like a caged animal in there."

I noticed just then that Jackal had his hands behind his back. "Hey Robin, I have a present for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands…"

"What kind of present?" I asked as I tried to peer behind his back.

I had the sneaking suspicion that he was up to something, but he was quicker. Jackal dodged my peeking by turning to face me, "You'll find out soon enough." When he continued to evade me, I relented. I held out my hands and closed my eyes. Something hard but lightweight landed in my hands. I opened my eyes and found a long tube-like thing in my hands. I quickly realized it was a piece of a Fallen Kongou's back cannon.

"Surprise! I brought you a trophy!" Jackal beamed broadly with a grin. I recognized the playful smile on his face that he'd make when he was playing around. I gave him one of my own and burst into giggles. I should've known it was a prank.

Jackal started laughing as well, "There it is. There's that contagious laugh!" Jackal suddenly pulled a small bag out from behind his back. "Here's your real present. Go on, open it."

I took the bag from him and looked at him. If this was another prank, I couldn't tell. Then again, Jackal had a very good poker face. I opened the bag and peered inside. My eyes widened and I gasped, nearly dropping the bag in my surprise. A familiar pad of paper was inside. It was somewhat charred and a bit crumpled, but I knew this was my old sketchbook. I could only squeak in awe as I pulled it out and pawed through the pages. Most of my drawings were still intact. I looked up at Jackal, completely speechless. He was giving me a knowing grin.

"I decided to see if the salvage team was able to scavenge any of our supplies. Turns out some things were recovered. I couldn't resist surprising you."

I finally regained my voice, "Jackal… I… this is…! Wow!"

"These drawings are very good," I looked up to find Sakuya looking over my shoulder, "Did you draw these?" I nodded and she continued, "That's impressive. You have a real talent, Robin. I really like this one, it's very realistic." She stabbed a finger at the last page I stopped on. I noticed which drawing she was talking about and I blushed a bit. It was the sketch I drew of Jackal when he was napping on the chopper. I hadn't even shown Jackal this one yet, and I was a little embarrassed People could get kinda weird when I draw them, so I didn't usually draw people.

"When did you do that, on the chopper?" I fidgeted and closed the sketchbook as I nodded at Jackal's question. "I'm impressed! It's really good!"

I smiled shyly. "T-thanks. I wasn't sure you'd like it, so… thanks."

"You don't need to be so humble about it. In fact, I think you should frame some of these," Sakuya added. I blushed again. I was not used to all this flattery, especially out of a near-stranger like Sakuya. It felt good, but I was also feeling self-conscious.

Jackal seemed to remember something then. "I almost forgot. I was going to go do some training after I visited you. Wanna watch?"

I shook my head, "I'd rather participate."

"Wait, what?" Jackal was caught flat-footed by my answer. "You sure? You might not be ready…"

"That's why I have to keep training, so I don't fall behind."

"Why do you keep pushing yourself so hard, Robin?" Sakuya asked, "He's right you know."

I had to. I was always weaker, slower, and clumsier than my fellows. I could not afford to coast by. It was more important now than ever. Sakuya and Jackal now knew about my hemophilia, and that probably meant Alisa knew too. A God Eater with that kind of a disability was a liability, and I couldn't stand the idea of becoming dead weight. If I fell behind, I might get demoted or removed from duty altogether. Trying my best and never quite making it was my biggest fear. I was reluctant to admit any of this, so I settled for a half-truth. "If I don't practice, I won't be able to return to duty. I know better than to overdo it, so don't worry."

I could tell neither of them were quite buying it, but I stood my ground. After several uncomfortable moments, Sakuya said, "Alright then, fair enough. Why don't you go and two train together? I'll observe the session. But I'm pulling the plug if either of you overwork yourselves, okay?"

I nodded my acknowledgement, and Jackal answered with a "Yes ma'am," of his own. Seeming satisfied with our answers, Sakuya headed for the elevator. "The training hall is this way. Follow me."

O-O-O-O-O-O

I took up a ready stance in the training hall, holding my God Arc in front of me. Jackal stretched out, giving me one of his trademark grins. "How's it feel to get back into it?" I shrugged my answer, and he continued, "Hey, let's have a competition. Whoever scores the kill gets a mochi ice cream from the loser!"

That Jackal knew me too well! I flashed a playful smirk, "Yeah? I accept! Don't expect to win without a serious fight!"

His grin grew a little sinister and he repositioned himself to a lunging stance, "Same to you! I'll take it easy on you!" Now I was miffed. He was going to go easy on me? Not cool. I was determined to show him what I could do.

"Alright, here we go," I heard Sakuya's voice from the loudspeaker, "First up is a warm-up. We have a Gboro-Gboro ready. Try to focus and don't get careless. This may be a practice match, but the challenges are real. As you may know, a 'fatal' attack will end the sim immediately. You will have ten minutes."

"Ten?!" I blurted in surprise, "That's kind of short…"

"With the both of you, that should be plenty of time. This isn't a particularly strong variant. Besides, I want to see if you two are as talented as the reports say. Get ready!"

I raised my Arc to a ready pose as the false Aragami materialized in front of us. The amphibian roared and turned to us, taking aim with its cannon. In a moment, I felt my training kick in. I instantly knew what to do. I rushed straight at it instead of backing up. Its water shot sprayed over my head and I easily dodged it. Jackal was there in a flash, swinging his Scythe in a circle to slash at its fins. The Aragami turned towards him. I prepared myself for a Charge Glide while it was busy. The Gboro spun and tail slapped me, knocking me on my butt.

I cursed myself for my ineptitude as I regained my footing. The Aragami was now facing away from me, and I saw another chance. I switched to my Gun Form and let it have a Spark emitter blast to the back. I landed a direct hit, and it reeled. I let it have a few more stabs, then fell back as it faced me next. It growled and gnashed its teeth, coiling up for a rushing charge. I sidestepped as I tried to change forms and block it. I realized that may not be a good idea too late. It was already coming at me again. I was unable to counter, and it rammed me down again.

 _That was stupid. Come on, Robin! Get your head in it! Focus!_

Behind the monster, I saw Jackal prepare to slam his Scythe into its back. I took the chance to spring to my feet again and attack with a flying leap. We both connected at the same time, and the false target fell. I stared in disbelief as I waited for my target to make a move, but it did not get back up. Did I beat this thing already? No way…

"Huh. That was anticlimactic." Jackal said with a hint of discontent. Apparently, he was just as surprised as I was.

"We won already? What a letdown…" I voiced my own disappointment. I knew this was a "warm-up", but this was just pathetic.

"Four minutes, fifteen seconds!" I heard Sakuya say from the speaker. She sounded a little awestruck. "Very nice! It looks like the report of you two coming from an elite branch was true!"

"That wasn't hard at all. Turn it up next time!" Jackal beamed.

"Take five first. I have to reset the sim anyway. Good job, you two!"

"Okay," I said, "Just let me know when the next sim is ready."

"Excuse me. A moment please?" I looked up, surprised at the new voice on the speaker. I recognized it as Alisa. "Robin, Jackal, can you two meet me outside? I want to ask you a favor."

"A favor?" Jackal asked.

"Just come out, please? I'll meet you there shortly."

Jackal nudged me. "Hey Robin, good job. You're still pretty sharp. I think we tied on the kill shot though. I'll ask if Sakuya will let me see the video footage to be sure." I had to chuckle at his comment. Some things never change.

I left the training room to see what Alisa wanted. I wasn't that concerned about who won or lost anyway. Just fighting alongside Jackal felt pretty good, and I'd proven I could still fight, even if it was against a pathetic excuse of a Gboro Gboro. I saw Alisa coming down the staircase and our way. Was she watching us fight just now?

"What is it, Alisa?" I asked.

She looked about, as if making sure we were alone, then said "It's about our upcoming mission. As you may be aware, Director Sakaki wants us to gather a sample of scales from Tsuchinoko for research. I wanted to ask you two if you knew anything about that thing."

"Not really," Jackal answered, seeming slightly guarded at the mention of Tsuchinoko.

"Oh." Alisa seemed slightly crestfallen to hear my reply. "I was hoping you two knew something…"

I wrinkled my brow in worry. "Please tell me you aren't thinking of killing that thing on your own…"

Alisa smiled reassuringly at me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about us. We won't be looking for trouble. It's strictly recon. You're welcome to come along if you feel up to a mission."

I was so astonished by her offer that all I could say was "Me?!"

"You can't be serious." Jackal seemed even more surprised than I was.

"I was watching that fight. Granted that Gboro Gboro was a weak Aragami, I could see both of you are talented God Eaters. Jackal, you just came back from that mission with Karel, right? I thought you might be tired, so I didn't offer. You're welcome to come too if you want to."

Jackal shrugged casually. "I'm a little tired, but I'm much tougher than I look. I'm game if you are."

"Are you two sure?" I nodded my reply to Alisa's question without hesitation, and Jackal nodded as well. Tsuchinoko was a scary Aragami, but I was confident that I could handle a scouting mission. Doubly so if Jackal was going to be with me.

She looked between us then smiled. "Alright, in that case, welcome to the roster. Meet me up at the helipad on the roof in thirty minutes."


	9. Lion Taming

_Lion Taming_

"You ready for another chopper ride?" Jackal asked me as we waited atop the roof for Alisa, "You're not scared are you?"

 _Yes_ , I thought, _Of course I'm scared._ I couldn't let my anxiety stop me though. If he found out I was still nervous, he'd start worrying about me. "Not really." I replied instead.

Jackal just stared at me for a while. I could tell he saw right through me again. I scratched my head sheepishly, "Okay, okay, a little bit …"

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Jackal nudged me on the shoulder, "Relax. I have your back if you've got mine."

I smiled and replied, "Thanks, and I'm sorry for being such a scaredy-cat lately. I have to get my game back."

"You've been really pushing yourself lately. What's gotten into you?"

Jackal hit the nail on the head there. I _have_ been trying extra hard. I wondered if I've always been that easy to read. I couldn't tell him the full extent of my fears; that would just make him worry more. I decided on a half-truth again. "I'm worried I might make another bad mistake like last time. I almost got us killed…"

Jackal's playful smile widened. "You'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine. We kicked tail in the sim, so we'll do great, I know it."

The sim was a pretty lackluster example. Jackal was trying to make me feel better, but I was not that convinced of myself. "That was one pathetic Gboro Gboro back there. I think Sakuya put a wimpy one in there on purpose. What gives?"

"That was for a good reason. You're still technically on medical, you know." Jackal and I turned both around at the unfamiliar, male voice.

Jackal tensed instantly on seeing him. "You again…" he said, a guarded tone to his voice, "what do _you_ want?"

"Hello to you too, Jackal." He said with a casual wave, "I see your partner's with you this time." A man dressed in a long, dark coat was standing behind us. The green-eyed, raven-haired man had the air of experience about him, but his bearing was far more cavalier: a strange mix. What immediately caught my eye about the dark-haired man was the gauntlet he was wearing over his right arm. It seemed bulky and not at all comfortable, resembling armor that a knight of old might wear. I caught myself staring for a moment before shifting my gaze. Some people have the strangest fashion sense.

Jackal said nothing to Lindow's words, and would not break eye contact with the newcomer. I was getting very uneasy at his reaction. "Who is this?" I asked, "Did something happen?"

"That's Lindow," Jackal cast a brief glance to me before returning to glare at the man, who hadn't budged an inch, "Watch out for him, he's even pushier than the Director."

The man Jackal called Lindow still didn't seem fazed. "I get it. You're not exactly the forgive-and-forget sort are you? You remind me a bit of Soma like that. I'm sorry for being so forceful earlier, but we have to bury the hatchet if we want to get this mission over with."

Forceful? Ooh, I didn't like the way he said that. I was getting Viper vibes already. At least Lindow seemed far nicer than him, and more approachable. But what did he do to Jackal? I couldn't restrain a suspicious look of my own. I considered asking him, but reconsidered. I'd ask Jackal later, when this character wasn't around.

"Alisa put you on the roster with us?" was what I wound up saying instead.

"Yeah," I saw Alisa coming up the stairs and towards us, "He insisted when he heard there was a new Aragami out there. Sorry for the short notice. I hope this is alright with you two."

"So that's how it is with him. I'll remember that." Jackal said pointedly as he shot Lindow another meaningful look.

If Lindow seemed even a little flustered at Jackal's reaction, he wasn't showing it. Alisa looked between Jackal and Lindow before looking to Jackal. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It's not worth discussing." Jackal brushed off the query.

"The Director asked me to bring Jackal in to see him. I kinda forced the issue when the kid was being stubborn." Lindow answered for him, earning another look out of Jackal as he turned towards him next, "Hey, stop glaring at me like that. I'm sorry for irritating you. Let's try to get along better in the future, yeah?" Jackal didn't say anything, but I saw his face relax a little. I had the feeling there was more to the situation than this, but I decided against discussing it right now. The tension was already thick enough to cut with a knife, and I wasn't about to dig deeper just before a mission.

Noticing the uneasy mood, Alisa changed subjects. "You all know what the mission today is, right?"

I nodded. "We're collecting some scales from Tsuchinoko, right?"

Alisa nodded. "That's right. Director Sakaki gave me this case to use. It's insulated against electricity and should make the scales safe to transport."

I examined the case Alisa brought out. It was roughly the size of a briefcase, but much thicker and reinforced with thick rubber shielding. That seemed reasonable. "I see. I hope we get gloves to handle them with too."

Alisa nodded again and took the case from me. "Yeah, they're in there too. I don't like the grip on those things, so I'll put them on when we find the scales."

"Works for me," Jackal said.

"Where are we going this time?" I asked

Alisa gestured over the skyline. "It's the same place as last time: the City of Mercy."

O-O-O-O-O-O

The City of Mercy had come into view, and I was on high alert. I couldn't make myself relax, and I could sense that Alisa, Lindow, and Jackal were anxious as well, especially Jackal. He kept looking at Lindow suspiciously. I got that they didn't exactly hit it off when they met, but maybe I missed something? I couldn't help being uneasy about Lindow myself, though I had no idea why.

I decided to take my mind off the mood by scouting. I didn't _see_ anything as we descended, but I knew that meant nothing against an enemy that could become invisible. I was hoping I could get this mission done quickly so we could leave.

"We're here," I heard the pilot call out as the chopper hovered low, "I can't bring you to the usual dropoff. Too risky. This is as close as I dare get."

"That's fine. Thank you." Alisa answered, "I want you to stay at high altitude whenever possible, alright? We can't have any more causalities."

"You got it. Come back safe, got it?"

"We'll do our best." She acknowledged the pilot's question as I stood at the hatch and peered out. I didn't see any sign of Tsuchinoko, but I knew better than to rely on merely seeing it. As the four of us jumped out, I immediately started scouting for anything out of the ordinary.

"The area is clear of Aragami signs," I heard a voice over my comm, "but we know by now that Tsuchinoko likes to hide. Stay sharp, everyone."

"Got it, Hibari. Keep us updated." Alisa answered.

"Who's that anyway?" I asked, "I heard you talking with her last week too…"

"Oh, that's the Far East's operator." Jackal responded. "I haven't met her in person though."

"I should introduce you two to her and the rest of the crew when we get back. I think you'll fit right in." Alisa said with a smile.

"Did anybody notice how quiet it is here?" I heard Lindow say from nearby as he hoisted his Long Sword over a shoulder, "That's not normal."

Jackal grunted uncomfortably. "Yeah, that Tsuchinoko thing could be anywhere. I don't like this one bit!"

"Me neither," I voiced my own unease. Well, that was putting it mildly. There was no sign of Aragami here, and that left me with a nasty sense of déjà vu.

Alisa nodded, "I agree. Let's hurry up, get those scales, and go. Don't get separated." We acknowledged her warning as we continued into the city. Nobody spoke a word. The lack of any Aragami here was unsettling. That there wasn't even an Ogretail or a Cocoon Maiden around only made things eerier. I wondered if Tsuchinoko killed them all off. Or maybe it was gathering them… no. I stopped myself from that line of thought. Aragami don't organize armies. The idea was absurd. But I knew what I saw last week, and that meant I had to stay on my toes and not get caught off guard again.

 _Stay focused,_ I thought, _don't forget the mission._

I saw Alisa suddenly raise a hand in a halting gesture and pointing over towards the old chapel. We all froze, looking where she pointed. I saw a brief shimmering and I realized that I needed to hide. We quickly hid behind a fallen platform as the light materialized into an all-too-familiar black snake. It immediately seemed to notice us and it fixed its gaze in our direction. I instantly saw that the scale I threw last time was still wedged in its cobra head somehow. It seemed very angry on noticing us, and I saw its scales bristle on edge. It flicked its tongues, raising its fanged head in a scouting pose, but it did not approach. Instead, it flared its cobra hood, lit up its markings, and coiled itself up.

 _What's this thing doing?_ I wondered, _I know it saw us. Why isn't it attacking?_

Tsuchinoko raised its cobra head and roared, suddenly turning invisible. I heard it slither away, its distinct metallic scales making a slight slinking noise as it ambled off. We all continued to hide behind the platform for some time before Lindow finally broke the silence.

"So, that's the Aragami that gave you all hell last week. Doesn't _seem_ that aggressive." He observed.

"Looks can be deceiving, Lindow. You saw one of its tricks just now." Alisa switched her Arc to Gun Form, "I wonder why it didn't try to come after us?"

"It acted like that last time too. It was setting a trap at the time." Jackal observed as he changed his Arc's form too, "Let's stay out of any narrow alleys. That's how it pinned us down earlier."

Just then, I heard Hibari come in over my radio, "I'm picking up a huge surge in Oracle signs! Two Vajras! The signatures also indicate a Deuspahge variant among them… I got it! Privthi Mata!"

"What?! How far away is it, Hibari?" Alisa asked into her radio.

"ETA is T minus one minute and counting. I'm having trouble pinpointing its exact location though…" Hibari answered.

"A Deusphage, huh? Some recon mission this is." Lindow rolled his arm and stretched out as he looked our way. "You three feel up to some lion taming?"

A Deusphage! Just my luck. At least it was a just Privthi Mata and some Vajras. The Vajra lineage was predictable if you knew how to watch its body signals. Now if it was a Quetzalcoatl that would be another story. I really, _really_ hate Quadrigas and their ilk.

Why?

It's a long story…

"This isn't the time for that!" Alisa scolded the elder God Eater, "We are not ready for a fight like that. Jackal and Robin only just got out of the infirmary you know. We should avoid-"

"They're here!" Hibari's voice suddenly warned, "Two Vajras inbound! You should run before they spot you!"

It was already too late to sneak away. With almost theatrical timing, a huge, feline face peeked out from behind the ruined chapel entrance. With a bestial roar, the Aragami rushed out from behind the building, lowering its body in a pouncing pose and shifting its haunches for a leap. I saw a second Vajra jump out of a skyscraper window and land to my right, roaring in defiance at us.

"I think those things just made the decision for us! Look alive!" Lindow warned as the crouching Vajra sprang at us with claws outstretched. The second one bellowed and started charging up an orb for its triple ranged attack. I saw my chance to act. I ran at the Vajra from an angle. I knew that standing in front, or at either 45o angle from there would result in me getting hit, so I ran between where I knew the orbs would be and aimed for its side. I vaulted into the air, unleashing a Charge Glide at the Vajra's face as Jackal loosed an Extend Bite from the front. We hit the Vajra as one, making it stumble.

 _Are the others okay?_ I glanced over my shoulder at my other teammates. Lindow was acting as vanguard, harrying the Vajra with swift but well-timed slashes while Alisa fired several mortars. When Alisa ran out of ammo, she took the role instead, leaving Lindow to fire rounds of his own.

 _An interesting strategy,_ I thought, _I better not fall behind!_ The way they fought together with such teamwork spoke of far more experience than I would have guessed. They seemed to have their target under control, so I returned my attention to my own prey. It was not a moment too soon, as I saw it raise its paw to slash at me. Instinct took over, and I deployed my shield without even thinking. I successfully blocked it, making the creature stumble as its paw bounced harmlessly aside. Jackal took the chance to fire a series of Frost mortars, shattering the Vajra's tail. I paused to store my excess OP up. I had an idea, and I needed to stock up if it was going to work.

"You're all doing great! Keep that up, but don't get careless!" I heard Hibari encouraging us from the comm.

"It'll take more than a mere Vajra to beat _us_! Let's show them we're made of, Robin!" Jackal responded with a triumphant grin of his own. This felt just like old times, back at the Valley. We'd fought more than this and won, so I was confident we'd come out on top.

Time to prove my worth. My enthusiasm flared, and I sprang forward, aiming my spear for the Vajra's tail. The Vajra turned and spread its mane at the last second. My confident smile fell to a wide-eyed stare as I realized my mistake too late. My spear screeched across its cape, creating a shower of sparks as the Vajra's armor deflected my shot. Reacting on instinct again, I kicked off of its cape and landed deftly at its side. The Vajra's attention was on Jackal, who was feinting with his scythe to distract the beast. I changed to my Gun Form and shot it point-blank with one of my customized lasers. It was a shot I made specifically to cause a lot of small explosions on contact. It used a lot of OP, and I could only fire this a few times before I needed to stock up again. My shots exploded on its exposed backside, making the creature fall on its side.

I dove right in, raining blow after blow to the Vajra's belly as Jackal joined me in kind. The beast roared and flailed, but I was able to evade its claws quite easily. Together, we continued to stab and slash until at last, the Vajra stopped moving. I quickly Devoured its core before it could recover.

"Nice! Now _that's_ the Robin I know!" Jackal beamed as he nudged my shoulder in a congratulatory manner, "Good to finally have you back!"

"Feels good to be back on the field!" I couldn't hold back a confident smirk as I readied my melee spear for round two, "Let's take the other one down too! Ready?" When Jackal nodded his reply, I turned to my next target. I could see that Alisa and Lindow's strategy was quite effective. The Vajra had suffered multiple un-bindings, and I could see it was weakening. This fight was going far better than I'd hoped. Was I finally getting my moxie back?

I charged right in, taking a support position beside Lindow. As I changed my Arc's form again, he shot me an acknowledging little smile. I nodded my own greeting and fired my custom laser again. The Vajra's response was to launch its EMP field at me. Neither Lindow nor I had the time to evade completely. I yelped in surprise and pain as the blast sent me flying several yards. I heard Lindow cry out, and I knew he had been hit too. I landed upside-down roughly against a platform and I had the wind knocked out of me for a moment. I was a little dizzy, but I managed to regain myself quickly. I righted myself and saw Alisa and Jackal closing in from the left and right for another scissor attack. I readied one more Charge Glide, and I let fly as Jackal and Alisa hit from the sides. I caught a glimpse of Lindow blasting the Vajra with an Impulse Edge as I connected. This time, our timing was not quite perfect enough, but our combined attack was still devastating. The cat roared and collapsed unmoving to the ground. Lindow was there in a moment, and he finished the fallen Aragami with a Devour.

"And that's two Vajras down and out. Good job, team!" he quipped as he turned to us with a satisfied smile. I could see he'd taken a few hits, but they were all superficial. Jackal and Alisa were in similar condition, and I felt myself relax in relief. Nobody got severely hurt, and I was glad for it.

Lindow looked between Jackal and I and continued, "You two are something else. You sure know how to kick ass and take names! You sure you aren't secret Fenrir commandos sent to one-up us?"

"I'm not here to steal anyone's thunder." Jackal said with a sideways glance at Lindow, whose slightly mischievous expression fell a notch at the response. His sudden shift in attitude was jarring, but I noticed that he wasn't quite glaring so harshly at Lindow this time. I wanted to speak up or something, but I didn't know what to say or do about the situation. I made a mental note to ask Jackal what's wrong at a later time.

"Let's hurry. Tsuchinoko may have heard us fighting." Alisa said. She was right; the snake may come back. Something about the way Tsuchinoko disappeared and the sudden appearance of the Vajras felt suspicious, but I brushed the thought aside for now. I had more important things to focus on than an inkling. Besides, wasn't there a report of a Privthi Mata lurking around here?

I nodded quietly, and followed Alisa down an alley. I had to be careful not to get separated, or it'd be last week all over again. I looked back to make sure Jackal and Lindow were behind me, and when I confirmed this I continued onwards.

I saw a glint ahead and paused. "Wait. What's that up ahead?"

"That what?" Jackal asked, moving up beside me and leaning forward. I wasn't sure yet, so I said nothing.

Alisa seemed to see the shiny glint up ahead at the same time. "Let's get a closer look. Stay alert, guys."

We slowly approached, and the scene became more apparent. A few moments later, I realized what it was. Three Ogretails were laying in the area ahead. I noticed that the Aragami had fallen to a spray of scales. They were covered in electrical burns, and were peppered with the ebony weapons.

"What the hell happened to these Ogretails?" Lindow asked as he leaned over at an Ogretail.

"Those scales…" Alisa said warily, "It's Tsuchinoko's scales. We've found what we need."

I just realized why this felt so wrong! "Hey, something's not right here," I said and pointed, "Look at them. They're still decomposing. That means this is fresh… _very_ fresh."

Alisa's face dropped in alarm. "You're right! Aragami decompose rapidly once the core is removed. We better grab those scales and get away from here." Alisa pulled out the case and started pulling on a pair of rubber gloves from it. "Cover me. I'll move as fast as I can."

"Got it." Jackal answered, and I nodded.

Alisa grabbed a nearby scale and yanked it out of the Ogretail's corpse. Quickly stashing it away, she said, "Okay, now let's get to the dropoff."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. The job was done, and now we could go back. As we made our way back to the rendezvous point, I couldn't help wondering why Tsuchinoko retreated when it saw us. The only thing I could think of made no sense: it was afraid of us. But the idea that it was scared was absurd. Aragami don't have emotions like that. Well, maybe if it was scared of us that was a good thing.

Never mind, now wasn't the time to think like this. The job was done, and I discarded that line of thought and let myself relax. We were leaving this place in one piece, and for that I was grateful.


	10. Gilded Wings

_Gilded Wings_

I hummed a simple tune to myself as I sat on a bench, drawing while sitting in the Lobby. A day had passed since that recon mission with Alisa, Lindow, and Jackal. I was taking a well-earned break, amusing myself with my favorite hobby. So much had changed in just a few days, and yet some things felt just the same. In a way, it was comforting despite my anxieties. I felt like I could finally relax, just a bit.

Even though there were all these strangers here, most seemed to be at least indifferent to me. I still heard strange whispers on occasion about "those new kids". Mostly, the rumors centered around how nobody knew where Jackal or I came from, our history, or even why we were as skilled as we were. I found it unsettling, so I did my best to ignore the gossip. I really felt like I was under scrutiny though. Then again, if I were in the same position, I might be suspicious too. Maybe I should try socializing with them sometime?

As I considered this, I was suddenly aware that someone was hovering over my shoulder. I looked up, becoming self-conscious. A God Eater wearing a purple jacket, purple shirt, and black slacks was leaning in on me from the seat next to me. The white-haired woman was clearly one of the more experienced God Eaters, as I could see she was wearing an eye patch over her right eye. She seemed maybe a little older than me, but had something of an air of mischievousness about her.

"Aw, don't be so shy," she cooed at me as I instinctively shut my sketchbook, "that was good work."

"Ah... who are you?" Great. After all that thinking about reaching out, I just _had_ to get nervous again. Maybe it was just this person's sudden appearance that startled me. Yeah, that's it.

"Who me? I'm Gina Dickinson. We haven't met have we? No, of course not. I'd remember a cute face like yours. What's your name, Sketchy?"

Sketchy? Was she already trying to invent a nickname for me? This Gina character was _way_ too forward. People like this tended to make me nervous. I couldn't help shyly staring into my lap and breaking eye-contact. "I'm Reiko Kimura, and my codename's Robin."

Gina grinned at me, leaning at me from the side this time and regaining my gaze forcibly by grabbing my chin. I froze like a startled deer, completely surprised by the sudden grab. "Robin! Now I know where I know you from! You're one of the new kids who made such a crazy entrance last week! You two are kinda famous, you know that?"

"Famous?" I subconsciously leaned away from Gina and brushed her hand off. I was _really_ starting to dislike how she got in my personal space like that.

She hummed in acknowledgment, "You got that right! You and the other kid, what's his name... Dingo? Fox? Coyote? Wolf? Some kind of canine..."

"Jackal. What about us being famous?" I was curious why we'd be "famous," but I had the feeling I already knew why. I could guess it had to deal with _that_ mission last week.

"Jackal, that's it! Anyway, I heard you two cut your way out of a nasty Aragami attack. And you two are the sole survivors of a heli crash to boot. But that's not the best part. You two even bagged that snake that's been such difficult prey for us." Her face changed into a malicious grin suddenly, "I bet that thing made such a nice spray after being hit with its own scales like that! I wish I could've seen it myself!"

Was Gina some kind of sadist or something? My caution rose, but I decided to respond anyway, "We all nearly died out there. I'd rather not take risks like that ever again!"

"Aw, what good's a hunt without some risk?" Gina nudged my shoulder, almost making me drop my sketchbook, "The greater the risk, the bigger the thrill!"

"I'm not really into thrills like those. I just want to come back alive." I said simply.

"You're one of _those_ types huh? Well, I guess it can't be helped. You gotta learn to to look danger in the eye, then..." She made a gun gesture with her index finger, "Bam! Right in their face!" Her smirk grew even more twisted as she raised her finger and blew across it playfully. "Just when they least expect it."

"Uh...?" was all I could manage. Was she even right in the head, or what? Now I was _really_ uncomfortable!

If she noticed my unease, she didn't seem to acknowledge it. "So, what's our resident snake-charmer's story? You gotta tell me where you two learned to kill something we couldn't even scratch!"

"We never actually killed Tsuchinoko, just wounded it," I corrected her.

Gina seemed slightly deflated. "What? Why didn't you finish it off? You cut off a head, right? I bet its materials would've made a lovely rifle."

Now I was getting even more confused. Just how wild _were_ those rumors anyways? "It was a lucky shot, but not a severing one. I would've tried to kill it if it hadn't turned invisible and ran away..."

"I get it. You're shy, _and_ modest. There's a lot of guys who think that's a cute combo. Bet you can't keep 'em off of you." I blushed at Gina's comment and broke eye-contact for the second time. This was getting awkward again. First Sakuya got personal, and now Gina: was this how the girls of the Far East liked to gossip? I was starting to regret my thoughts on trying to be more outgoing.

"Hey, you! Stop bugging Robin!" I looked up at the voice and smiled when I saw it was Jackal. He was approaching us from the far side of the Lobby. He didn't look too happy to see Gina teasing me. I was relieved he was here to save me from this situation.

"Aw, you're a spoilsport," Gina turned her attention to Jackal, giving me the chance to get up from the bench, "Can't you see we're just having a girl-to-girl chat?"

"Only if it's a different topic, please..." I said quietly as I slowly started to back towards the elevator.

"See? She agrees." Gina made a shooing gesture to an unamused Jackal, "Now go and let us get back to the juicy part."

Just then, I noticed a second newcomer arriving, and I backed up from the elevator and towards Jackal. This one was a young blonde wearing a pink shirt and black trousers with dark blue boots. He had the bearing of a tough-guy, and I couldn't restrain a fidget. I was now caught between a sadist and a punk. Just awesome.

"Karel." Jackal turned and gave the blonde a look.

"What, Jackal? I'm just here to pick up a new mission." The God Eater Jackal called Karel shot him a glare, "Are you here for a cut of my reward again?"

Jackal seemed a little angry at the accusation. "You wish," he scoffed. "I'm just looking for the three God Eaters who saw the strange, golden Aragami earlier. I think their names were Federico, Shun, and Gina."

"You mean that bird thing from earlier?" Gina cooed, "I was on that mission. I'm Gina."

Karel pushed his way past Jackal, making him stumble into me, "She'll tell you. Now get out of the way."

"Grr..." Jackal seemed barely able to contain his anger at the rough treatment.

I had no idea what happened between him and Karel, but the two obviously didn't get along. I didn't want any more animosity, so I put a hand on his shoulder. "Jackal, calm down. Leave it."

"Jackass," I heard Jackal growl under his breath in Karel's direction. He sighed sharply and turned back to me, seeming a little less tense now. "Sorry you had to see that, Robin, Gina. That jerk values his wallet more than the mission, and that kind of selfishness really pisses me off in a hurry."

"Ooh, a hot-blooded type, aren't you?" Gina cooed, then turned to smirk at me, "You have quite a dangerous taste in men."

I squeaked my surprise at the bold assumption. "Y-y-you're mistaken. W-we're friends from back at the other base..."

"Don't be so shy. You two would make such a cute pair. Opposites attract, you know."

I felt my face redden at her words. Me and Jackal, a pair? No way. He'd never settle for someone like me. I was weak, timid, and a total wallflower. He deserved better than me. Although, there _was_ this other part of me that would not-so-secretly like it very much if he did pick me...

Crap. Now I was blushing even _more!_ Better calm down before Jackal noticed...

"Gina, stop teasing the new kids. You don't want them to spook." I recognized the voice this time as the dark-haired man who Jackal had trouble with earlier, Lindow. He'd just come out of the elevator and was giving Gina a look.

"Oh, it's not teasing if its the truth~!" Gina threw me another wink. "I'll just let them think on it some more. Can't rush love."

A long silence passed before Jackal changed the awkward subject."Do either of you know where Shun or Federico are? I still have to ask them about that mission." I didn't know what to think about him not voicing his opinion about the topic of us being maybe an item. I was part upset, part relieved, and part... I wasn't sure what.

Lindow scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I think Federico went on a mission with Brendan, Tatsumi, and Kanon to the Sunken Grid not long ago. It's just two Fallen Chi-Yous, so I expect they'll be back before dark. As for Shun, I last saw him in the cafeteria, grumbling something about being bored."

"Then let's go, Robin." Jackal started off towards the elevator, but was cut off by Gina.

"Did I put you two off?" Gina said, "Okay, I get it. Let's be serious then. I know about that Aragami too, so if you want me to tell you, just ask!"

"Well, don't you think right in front of the elevator is a weird place to discuss it?" Lindow continued, "How about you three head to the cafeteria and discuss the details with Shun? I heard him grumbling about how he wants a challenge. Maybe you should think of taking him and Gina with you, Jackal."

"I'd like that!" Gina said excitedly, "I love fresh prey. New Aragami like that make me want to hunt."

"Good. Well, I have a date to see to, so I'll see you all later." Lindow walked off at that and headed for the mission counter.

"Date?" I asked simply, but Lindow was too far out of earshot to hear me. Wasn't he engaged?

"Didn't expect him to be _that_ type..." Jackal commented with a puzzled head scratch.

Gina shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, Lindow just says stuff like that when he's hunting something big. I wonder what he'll take down this time? Maybe another Ouroborus? Or better yet, two!" Gina turned back to us. "Well, enough of that. Let's find a seat at the cafeteria and discuss that Aragami there, hm?"

Jackal and I nodded and followed Gina through the elevator and over to where the cafeteria was. I could see it was mostly empty, save for a red-haired man at the far end of a table. He was wearing a lime-green jacket, a black shirt, and a studded baseball-style cap skewed sideways.

"Shuuun~! Hey!" Gina called out as we approached.

He looked up from his lunch. "What, Gina? I'm kind of busy."

"You know that scouting mission we went on yesterday? Jackal here has some questions to ask us." Gina took up a seat beside Shun as Jackal and I sat across from them.

Shun eyed us both critically, almost as if sizing us up. "You're those so-called 'elite' God Eaters we got. You two don't look like much."

"I'm tougher than I look. We both are." Jackal answered coolly.

Shun shot us a smirk. "You better be! I heard you two raised hell last week. Hunting that Tsuchinoko thing was ballsy of you!"

"How does everyone know about that?" Jackal asked.

"Well, you better include me next time! Tsuchinoko won't stand a snowball's chance against _my_ blade!" Shun practically puffed his chest at that.

 _He's certainly not lacking in confidence,_ I thought, _I hope he can tell us something useful._ As if reading my thoughts, he continued, "So the bird. We saw it, but we didn't have the ' _manpower'_ for a head-on fight." Shun made mocking hand-quotes at the word "manpower" and sneered.

"But Federico was right," Gina replied, "As much as I love a good fight, three of us versus one large Aragami, and a new one at that, wouldn't have ended so well."

"I wanted that mission to track the thing, but Hibari said it was taken!" Shun shook his head, "I was looking for something challenging. I'm sick of all the small-fry missions I've been stuck with lately!"

"So, why don't you come with me then?" Jackal offered, much to my surprise, "I took that mission. If you're so keen on taking it down, do it with me."

Shun slumped in his seat. "This sucks. I find my prey but I have to share the spotlight with some wannabe hero? Pass."

Jackal scowled at him. "Fine, then don't come. I'm just looking for some experience with the thing." Jackal turned to the gunner, "Gina, you in?"

"You bet I am! Fresh prey is my specialty." Gina got another sadistic look on her face and smirked at Shun again. "C'mon, Shun. Don't be a lone wolf. Or are you just scared?"

Gina's response seemed to shock and anger Shun. "Scared?! Hell no, I'm not scared of an Aragami! I take it back, I'm in. You should be grateful." That was a fast change of heart. I got the feeling that Shun was proud, but competitive. That could be a tricky combo to deal with...

"So, that's three then? Who're you picking for your fourth, Jackal?" I asked.

Jackal gave me a wink. "Oh, some cute spear-wielder I know. She won't mind, will she?"

I smiled at the compliment. "She sure won't!"

"Then that's settled!" Jackal said excitedly, "Good!"

"So, where is he mission this time, o fearless leader?" Gina asked playfully as she leaned across the table at him, "I can't wait to start the hunt."

Jackal seemed to ignore Gina's antics, but I saw him shift uneasily in his seat. I was used to deferring to Jackal when we went on missions together, so the idea of him leading didn't faze me. But for some reason, Gina seemed to be flustering him. Was he that uncomfortable with being called a leader? He quickly regained his nerve and spoke, "The mission's somewhere called the Wailing Plains. Hibari said it rains almost constantly there, so I better prepare supplies for the weather. Meet me up on the roof in thirty minutes."

O-O-O-O-O-O

The journey to the place called the Wailing Plains was uneventful. The chopper had dropped us off at the edge of what seemed to be an ancient crater site. Overgrown husks of buildings spoke of an attempt to build here, or maybe they were pre-Aragami ruins. I couldn't tell which. Broad, emerald plains surrounded craggy, ring-shaped cliffs at the center of the area. A huge twister roared in its heart, whipping up rain. I didn't mind the rain so much, I actually liked rain. Gina meanwhile, looked a bit like a wet cat.

"This should be good," Shun shot a cocky smile at us from over his back, "You three better not hold me back!"

"Didn't plan to. I'm just here for the thrill." I noticed a slight annoyance to Gina's words that contradicted her earlier attitude.

"All vitals are green," I heard Hibari's voice over the comm, "Stay sharp and don't let your guard down. If that new Aragami is invulnerable like Tsuchinoko, you must retreat, am I clear?"

"Sure." I acknowledged her, "It's better to come back alive than to die doing something stupid."

"That's the spirit! Oh, and try not to forget who I am this time, okay Robin? That kind of hurt last time..."

I blushed at myself. I had the embarrassing tendency to forget people's names when I'm nervous. Awkward. "G-got it Hibari..."

"Alright, let's start the search. Don't get separated, guys!" I nodded at Jackal's words and heard Shun and Gina acknowledge him as well.

We only searched for about five minutes before I noticed a shape up on top of a ruined building. It seemed like some kind of avian Aragami, but it was far more animal-like than a Chi-You. This beast kind of resembled a huge raptor, easily a good twelve feet tall. Glossy, gold plumage covered its body, and its head was crested like a cockatoo's. Its tail was nearly twice its body length, consisting of three long, multi-eyed, peacock-like tail feathers whose "eyes" shone as if lit from within. Though much smaller than Tsuchinoko, it carried itself with a clear sense of pride, almost like a lord surveying his domain. It was an elegant, almost kingly creature. But like all of its kind, the Aragami still had its grotesque side. At the tip of each wing, a three-taloned claw sat curled, clasping onto its own back like some kind of cloak. Its eyes were a pair of savage slits, glowing from under its crown. This beast would be kind of mesmerizing if it weren't an Aragami!

"It's that bird again!" Shun raised his Long Sword to a ready stance on sighting the creature, "That thing's mine this time!"

"I don't like this," I said warily, "I know it sees us. How come it isn't attacking?" I was getting Tsuchinoko vibes about this. The bird didn't seem like it was taking initiative. It was looking over its back at us, silently glaring from its perch up on the rooftop as if sizing us up. I took a second to try and predict what it could be up to, but it was anyone's guess. It's not like Aragami smirk or anything when they're plotting. I changed my Arc to Gun Form and stood ready. I really didn't like how calm it was acting.

"It's just sitting there?" Shun clicked his tongue in disdain, "Lame. I came here for a challenge, and this is what I get?"

"Should we shoot it down?" I asked.

"Don't ask stupid questions! Just do it!" Shun barked.

"You should savor the hunt more. More for me, then. Wish granted!" Gina sighted her rifle at the bird's face.

"Wait!" Jackal warned, "Something's wrong!"

It was too late. Gina had already fired several shots at the bird. It took wing in an instant, reacting before the shots were even fired. Now that the bird's wings were spread, I could see silver-colored marks along its "arms" and down the sides of its body under the wings that reminded me of the markings I saw on Tsuchinoko's hood. As the shots struck the bird's wings, I could see the sliver marks glow more intensely. I couldn't tell if it had any other effect on the bird. It still wasn't attacking though.

"Get down from there, feather-face!" Shun waved his sword impatiently, "Come over here and fight me man-to-man! Or, bird-to-man! Whatever!"

As if in reply, the bird tucked its legs into its tail plumage and pinned its wings, dive-bombing straight at us with a terrible keening cry. I tried to change forms and roll aside, but that bird was way faster then me. It slammed into my front and grasped me by the shoulders with its powerful feet. Before I could do more than scream, it flew up, taking me with it! I waved my Spear, desperately trying to land a shot, but my weapon kept glancing aside. Those feathers must be acting like armor plating, just like Tsuchinoko's scales. I looked down to call for my allies, and I quickly realized what a bad idea stabbing my captor could be. I was a good twenty, maybe thirty feet in the air and rising very fast. If it dropped me from this height, I'd surely die! I could see my friends scrambling from below, but I couldn't hear anything past the wind in my ears.

An icy laser shot from below, narrowly missing me, but striking the bird in the belly. Who did that?! They almost hit me! I desperately wanted down from here, but not if it meant falling to my death or getting killed by friendly-fire! I screamed again, now clinging to the bird's legs in fear. The bird finally stopped gaining altitude on getting shot, but I was now impossibly high up. It keened again, then angled its body and dove nearly straight down. I panicked and screamed again.

 _This is it. I'm going to die at the claws of this monster-bird!_

I briefly caught a glimpse of someone deploying their shield, but I couldn't quite tell who. The bird reared mid-dive and tried to veer aside. In doing so, the bird and I both collided with the splayed shield painfully. The impact knocked the God Eater over and tore me from the bird's talons. I felt its claws rake across my upper arms as I slid on my front across the ground. I felt my companion fall across my back and land next to me. I could only lie there, catching my breath and trying to stop my body from shaking. I was dizzy and a little wounded, but I was alive somehow!

"Ow..." I raised my head and propped myself to a sitting position. As I shook the stars from my vision, I realized who I'd crashed into.

"Argh!" a semi-stunned Jackal groaned from my side, "I'll feel _that_ one tomorrow!"

"You two are something else!" Shun fell back as Gina fired another barrage of rounds. He deployed a Restore Post and ran back to a vanguard position. "Are you sure you're _elites?_ " Shun said the last word with a mocking tone. "Some elites you are!"

Would it kill him to show a little empathy!? I almost died just now! It took a lot for me to actually dislike someone, but Shun was doing it in a hurry. I put my growing anger aside and stood, offering a hand to Jackal, who was rubbing his head. "Are you okay?"

Jackal got to his feet with my aid. "I'm fine. I just I hit my head on my Arc when that bird rammed me. How about you? That thing didn't hurt you did it?"

Yes, but that Restore Post would help with that. "Not really." Jackal gave me another look. Am I that bad at hiding my injuries? "Okay, okay. I did get hurt a little, but I'll be fine in a moment. Come on, we better help!"

I turned back to the bird. It had fallen over and was floundering around on the ground, clawing at the ground with its feet and wing-talons. Apparently, it lost its balance when it crashed into Jackal. Gina was still shooting, but her rate of fire was slowing. I could tell she was getting fatigued. Shun, meanwhile, was maneuvering behind the thing and releasing multiple Impulse Edges to its back. I could tell their tactic wouldn't last, and I had to hurry. I ran for the healing pillar, with Jackal following suit, then we both ran forwards at the bird.

Just as I reached the bird, it finally regained its feet. I saw the marks on its wings glowing even more brightly now, and the eyes of its tail were now shining blue. The beast was flexing its wings as energy gathered at its hands. I saw frost start to form on its talons, granting the bird huge, icy claws that radiated a blue aura. It slashed wide with its wing, sending a rain of icicles our way. I tried to block it, but I was slightly too slow again. Most of the icicles screeched and shattered on my shield, but one still hit me in the upper arm. I heard cries from my allies, and I knew they were not spared the assault.

 _So, it's a Frost type, huh? I better plan accordingly._ My arm hurt, but I gritted my teeth and changed back to Gun Form. I switched to one of my customized healing rounds. It was a wide-range laser bullet that I designed to cover a broad area at once. Like my other laser, it was expensive to use and could not be fired often. Jackal saw me changing bullets, and took point with Shun. I fired my shot, making sure to include all of us in the radius, then changed back to melee. The bird keened and slammed its fists into the ground, releasing a shockwave of ice and leaping backwards in one move. I blocked again, this time managing to completely escape the ice.

I immediately realized something was wrong with my Arc. The shield would not fold, making the weapon unbalanced and hard to handle. I examined it quickly, and discovered that my God Arc had frozen over! Solid ice had fixed my God Arc in its shield form, preventing me from using it properly to attack. I noticed that Shun, Gina, and Jackal's Arcs were frozen too, and Shun and Jackal's were unable to change from shield form just like me.

"What the hell?!" Shun waved his sword, trying to free it from the ice, "My God Arc's stuck!"

"I'm stuck too!" Jackal seemed more than a little upset, and he kept hitting his Arc on the ground to try and break the ice, "I can't change to Gun Form either!"

"Me too!" I replied as I tried to manually pry some of the ice off of my shield. But my efforts were fruitless. It was so cold that touching it was painful. I flinched away, unable to handle it. Luckily, my God Arc itself was just cold, but not dangerously so.

Gina looked somewhat concerned. "My gun is frozen too! I can't change bullets! I think I can still fire my gun though!"

"Good, try to shoot that bird! I'll cover you since I can't fight back. Robin, Shun! Back me up!" Jackal said as he raised his God Arc back to a protective stance.

"Good idea! We might not be able to fight, but we can still defend!" I said, joining Jackal in a defending formation.

"Oh my, how noble of you," Gina cooed, "You're all like my guardians now. That's so sweet~! Do you two practice chivalry?"

"Shut up and do something, Gina!" Shun growled, joining Jackal and me as the bird took flight, "When this thing thaws, that ice-bird's mine!"

"Oh, boo. Why do you have to be so serious, Shun? Whatever, time to hunt." She raised her rifle and fired more shots. I noticed she had Blaze bullets loaded. Lucky. Gina fired repeatedly at the circling raptor, hitting it multiple times. I wasn't sure that was working. The only change I noticed was the bird's tail "eyes" turning red, and its markings glowing brighter still. I had a _very_ bad feeling about this...

The bird shrieked an eerie call and swooped at us. As it dove, I saw flames cloak its body, increasing in intensity as Gina's shots landed. I raised my God Arc to block it again. The blazing heat of its dive melted the ice from my Arc, and the panels folded up unexpectedly. That left me wide open!

 _This so isn't my lucky day._

I threw myself to the ground in a last-ditch effort to evade its tackle. I covered my head with my arms, and I felt the flames scorch my back when the bird shot past me. Though intense, the flames didn't last very long. I sighed and relief. I didn't expect a Blaze attack after all those Frost moves! What's up with this bird?

That was when I heard Jackal screaming. My head popped up without thinking. I saw the bird pinning something just ahead of me. The beast's back was to me, but Jackal's cries of pain told me everything. The bird must've pinned him!

"Jackal!" I cried as I scrambled back to my feet. I leaped at the Aragami, aiming my spear for another Charge Glide. I landed a solid hit, but my spear turned aside again. I wound up sliding aside and landing roughly beside the bird. It raised its head and glared my way as if annoyed that I was interrupting it.

Its golden face was covered in blood. Jackal's blood. My breath caught in my throat and I stood dumbstruck for several moments. The bird practically smirked at me, daring me to stop it. Something in me snapped again. I bared my teeth and shot a glare of my own. The thought of its attitude enraged me to the core. How _dare_ this thing act so proud of itself! Now I was super, _mega_ furious! All I could think was that this thing needed to die. I lunged forwards and screamed, stabbing the bird straight in the eye. It keened and fell back, shaking its head. I swiped at its body, but my spear was turned away again.

The bird raised its plume and gave me a nasty look. Then, it spread its wings wide, suddenly emitting a brilliant flash of light from its markings. I lost my bearings and fell on my butt. I could hear the bird's wingbeats, and its screams begin to grow distant. It was running! The bird was retreating!

"Gina! Shun! Jackal! Robin! Come on, somebody answer me!" I suddenly heard Hibari call out from the radio.

"What, Hibari? Stop shouting!" Shun answered.

Hibari sighed, sounding very relieved. "Oh, thank goodness! I completely lost your signals for a while! Report in!"

"We found the Aragami. Too bad it ran though, because that fight was just getting interesting!" Gina replied.

Wait, our signals disappeared? That didn't sound good. But I had more important things to worry about right now. Nobody seemed badly hurt, but what about Jackal? He was the one who got pinned. I turned to check on Jackal, and I gasped at what I saw. The bird had torn into Jackal quite brutally with its beak; his chest was covered in tearing wounds that were bleeding profusely. He was lying on his back, breathing hard and groaning softly. I was so astonished that I could only stare for a moment. I shook my head to drag myself out of my daze, but I still felt numb as I collapsed to my knees in horror. This couldn't be happening!

"What happened out there?! Jackal's vitals are redlining!" Hibari sounded shocked all of a sudden. "I'm aborting your mission! Stand by for med evac!"

"What?!" Shun said as he and Gina rushed to Jackal and I. I managed to regain enough of my composure to realize that Jackal was in very serious condition. One particularly deep bite to his right shoulder was looking grave. I started digging for some bandages to bind the wound. Luckily, I found what I was looking for, and started wrapping the injury. He sucked in a pained breath at my treatment, making me flinch in kind. I bit my lip and continued my work. Seeing him in such pain tore me up in a way I couldn't even describe, but I had to work through it. I had to act fast or he'd never make it long enough for the chopper to arrive!

For the first time since I met him, the cocky look on Shun's face had faded. "Damn, that looks bad! Hibari, tell that heli to step on it! It's serious!" he called into the radio.

"Hold on. Let's see if this helps." Gina stood and fired a healing-type emitter at us. Jackal's breathing seemed to become slightly less labored, and some of the smaller wounds closed, but the deep one to his shoulder remained unchanged. I had to do something more, or he might die right here and now!

Something from my training clicked just then. We God Eaters have the ability to support a fallen ally by connecting our armlets and exchanging Oracle Cells. The ability was called Link Aid. It was very draining to the user, but a vital tool for saving a downed comrade. I didn't care what I had to do; I wasn't going to let Jackal die! I took his wrist and lined his implant up with mine so they were in direct contact. Vines extended from both armlets, and intertwined with each other. I instantly felt my energy draining into him from the link. Ignoring the bizarre, weakening feeling, I downed a Recovery Pill and gritted my teeth against the pain. I felt his body relax a little as it took hold, and my own tension fell slightly. _It's working,_ I thought, _he'll be fine... I hope._ The vines disconnected and withdrew, leaving my arm somewhat tingly and painful. I put pressure on the shoulder wound, which had already soaked through the bandages.

"They're coming in!" Gina shouted, "I'll go meet up with them!"

"And I'll help from over here." Shun knelt down to my level, but seemed at a loss as for what to do. I noticed just then that the sound of a helicopter was approaching rapidly. I looked up to the sky as the chopper descended like a shining, steel angel. I'd never been so happy to hear that sound in my life. It meant that Jackal was going to survive. He'd make it... I hoped.


	11. Bitter Memory

_Bitter Memory_

Eight days had passed since the day we encountered the golden bird, which we had named Garuda. That mission was a total disaster. Jackal had been seriously wounded, and we had been forced to abandon the recon mission and summon the medical team. Gina, Shun, and myself had all managed to escape with no serious injuries, but I wished I could say the same about Jackal. He almost died several times before we could even get back to base. Don't misunderstand me, the medical team was amazing. Jackal had lost a lot of blood, and he suffered a severe muscle tear to his shoulder, but he was alive. The physical wounds should heal quickly, thanks to the regenerative abilities he has as a God Eater.

If only the same could be said for his mental condition. Ever since that day, he'd been so… distant. He would just stare into nothingness, not even seeming to understand what I was saying. It was as if I was speaking another language, or like he wasn't hearing me. I knew he was alert, because he would occasionally glance my way with a vague curiosity. In fact, it reminded me a little of how bewildered he was when he first came to The Valley. I've been told it's not amnesia again, but it was upsetting all the same.

I'd been just plodding along lately, busying myself with any mission Hibari would give me. I've taken several missions since last week, but to be honest, it's been a bit mechanical. Kill this Aragami, kill that Aragami: nothing really changed. It's the same thing as always. And I've been successful on each one, no serious injuries or other problems. Yet, it was hollow for me. I felt empty, like something was incomplete.

I sat on the edge of the rooftop, just looking out over the base as I tried to grasp what just happened. Where was the free-wheeling, happy Jackal I'd known for so long? I wanted so badly to hold his hand, to tell him that everything was going to be okay. Sadly, the reality was that he was _not_ okay. A thought occurred to me just then; he's been the one who's been encouraging me when I was recovering, and now it was my turn to help him. I stood to my feet and nodded to myself. Maybe he was just tired from all he's been through. I should go and cheer him up. I just had to stay strong, for him.

I went back to the elevator and left the rooftop, heading for the infirmary. When I got there, I saw a familiar God Eater leaving the room. It was the same medic who was making care of my injuries after Tsuchinoko nearly killed me, Sakuya.

"Oh, hello Robin," she greeted me as she pulled the door shut behind her, "You seem to be doing well lately."

"I'm okay, I guess," I answered her, "How's Jackal? Is he doing any better?"

"About that…" Sakuya looked back towards the room, then wrote a few notes down on the clipboard she was carrying, "I wouldn't go in there right now if I were you, he's not exactly too happy."

That's progress, isn't it? "But he's showing an emotion, right?"

"Yeah, a breakthrough. Finally. But it isn't the best of times to speak with him. He still isn't his old self."

A little spark of hope lit up in me. He's speaking again! That's a start. I had to try for him, that's what he'd do for me. "But if he's finally coming back to his senses, maybe all he needs is a little push to return back to how he was." I reached for the doorknob as Sakuya stepped aside.

"Well, good luck. You're gonna need it."

"Er… okay, thanks?" I answered as Sakuya left, still writing notes. That was a little ominous. What did she mean by that? I shook off the thought and summoned up my nerve again. I opened the door to find Jackal on his hands and knees on the floor. He was clawing his way to his feet and trying to get back into bed, but he was still weak and unsteady.

"Jackal!" I ran to his side and took his hand. Jackal stared at me blankly as I helped him into his bed. Then, I saw a flicker of recognition cross his face. I smiled at him warmly. Seeing even a hint of his personality return was encouraging! Maybe some small talk would perk him up more.

After making sure he was situated, I took a seat in a chair at his bedside. "So, how have you been?"

"Other than the occasional pain, I've been fine." My smile broadened to hear his words. At least he seemed to be recovering well. Good. He gave me a slightly curious look, "How about you? Have you been on a ton of missions?"

"A few." That was kind of an understatement. I've been on twelve missions since then. I decided to give him a few highlights from my outings. As I recapped my missions, I started to notice Jackal spacing out again. He kept looking past me, staring off into space as if daydreaming.

"I feel sorry for you." His sudden words interrupted me, and I halted mid-spiel.

"Huh? Why's that?" I asked.

Jackal continued his deadpan stare. "Every time you are out there, you are putting your life on the line. If we compare your life to mine, I am more likely to live longer. I'm stuck in the infirmary and therefore don't have to fight for my life, unlike you."

"What?" Was that… pity? We're both God Eaters. He faced the same exact dangers I did. What was he saying? No, it was not pity. This was despair. I had to bite my lip to stop from crying. I had to get out of here. I couldn't cry in front of him!

"I… I…"

"As long as I'm in here, I don't have to..." Jackal seemed like he was trying to justify his words, but I wasn't able to restrain my emotions anymore. In fact, this reminded me too much of something from my past that I wanted to forget. Sometimes, I envied Jackal's amnesia

"I have to go! I'm sorry!"

I turned and ran out of the infirmary just as the tears started to come. I ran down the hallway, now starting to sob. I had to veer aside to avoid running into Alisa, who was chatting with Sakuya at the end of the hallway by the lift. I slammed a fist into the call button and waited what felt like an eternity for the elevator to arrive. I thought I heard the girls talking more, but I wasn't listening. I didn't care. Without saying a word, I rushed into the open doors, and pushed the close button. I briefly saw Alisa and Sakuya giving me concerned looks as the doors shut.

Jackal had been acting so strangely ever since he'd regained consciousness five days ago. When I first visited him, he was… distant. Aloof. He'd barely even responded to anything I'd said. Now that he'd finally started talking again, I felt even worse. I wanted to hear him say something, anything. I got my wish, but what he _did_ say was jaded and pessimistic. This was not Jackal, the real Jackal would not have been so defeated. It was almost as if something had broken inside him, leaving a hollow mockery of who he once was. That was distressing. No, it was more than just "distressing." Seeing the cheerful optimism I'd come to admire replaced with this was just unbearable! It hurt so much to see him like this.

Maybe I should've listened to Sakuya and not come to see him just yet. I'm a naïve idiot.

The lift didn't even make it back all the way to the roof before I screamed in anguish. This was far too familiar. I was losing my best friend again, and it was my fault, again! The moment the doors opened, I raced out onto the rooftop. It had started raining, but I couldn't care less. Let it come. I flopped sullenly back at the place on the edge where I was sitting earlier. I buried my face in my arms and sobbed into my hands. How could this happen again? Once was bad enough. Last time this happened to me, I lost my family and my best friend. Now it was happening again!

Why me?

"Isn't it cold out here?" I looked up, and was surprised to find that Alisa had followed me outside. If the rain was bothering her, she wasn't showing it. I shook my head and stared over the precipice at the base below us. I didn't really want company right now, but I couldn't be bothered to tell Alisa that. If she wanted to join me, then whatever. She shouldn't expect me to exactly be a social butterfly right now though.

Alisa lowered herself to the ledge and sat right beside me. Oh, great, was she going to chat with me right _now?_ "You looked pretty upset, so I came after you. Sakuya thought you looked suicidal. I didn't think so, but I thought you might need someone to talk to. So, I followed you just to make sure." I shook my head slowly. Did I look that bad? I know I can get dramatic when I lose my cool, but _suicidal!?_ Maybe I let my emotions get away from me just now.

Alisa put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "Are you sure?"

I nodded once slowly, and stared down again. When I didn't reply more than that, she continued, "I can't say I know what you're thinking, but I can sympathize. It hurts to see your friends like that..."

She was nothing if not persistent. I slowly looked up and found Alisa smiling kindly at me. I allowed myself to smile back slightly, then felt shameful for smiling at a time like this. I was in no mood for clichés and false pity. "Don't claim to know what I feel. You don't know." I said, instantly regretting how harsh I sounded. Why couldn't she just go?

"You're right. I don't know exactly what you're feeling." A long silence passed between us. When I didn't say anything, she continued again, "I'll tell you why I think I can at least understand where you're coming from. I lost both my parents to a Deusphage when I was I kid. I had the hardest time dealing with that. For a long time, I'd completely melt down if I saw any of the Vajra line. I still have flashbacks sometimes." Alisa was being rather matter-of fact. I, meanwhile, was a bit thunderstruck. Maybe we had more in common than I thought.

"I'll never forget my past, but I don't dwell on it anymore." Alisa smiled as if recalling something pleasant, and she stared up into the rain. "If there's one thing the old Captain taught me, it's that you can't deal with things like this on your own. It's healthier to share the burden." Alisa turned back to me, "Talk to me, Robin. Help me help you."

Maybe she was right. It'd feel a little better to have a confidant. Maybe. I decided to tell her my story, but I knew she wasn't going to enjoy this tale nearly as much as she thought she would. "Get comfy, it's going to take some explaining…"

Alisa shifted her weight on her perch. "I'm not busy. Take all the time you need."

I looked up at the sky. Where could I begin? "I think you know that I have hemophilia, right?"

"Yeah?" Alisa was watching me intently, waiting for me to continue.

"Well, I grew up in a very poor family of three on a little satellite base far to the south of here. It took its name from an ancient name for the area: Ryukyu. My father and my mother were both scavengers. Dad was killed by a rival gang when I was five, and Mom died giving birth to me. I never knew my parents that well. I also had two elder brothers, Kaito and Ichiro. Kaito was six years older than me, and Ichiro was fifteen years older than me. Kai was the kind of guy who never said much, but meant what he did have to say. Ichiro, now he was the smoothest talker I'd ever seen. I swear he could've talked an Ogretail out of its meal. He was the closest thing Kai and I had to a father."

Alisa gave me a concerned look. "Sounds like that was hard for you."

I shrugged. "It was the only life I knew, so I guess I didn't know any different. Everyone pretty much knew everyone else at Ryukyu, so it did get a little boring at times because we were a small place. We were out on a little atoll off the coast, so it wasn't like we could just go visit a neighboring base. Because of our location, Fenrir was pretty slow to deliver supplies. We didn't even have any God Eaters to protect us. We had to improvise for almost everything. That went double for medical supplies. That's why my condition was such a huge problem for Ryukyu. When I get hurt, I heal much slower than others do. Before I became a God Eater, it wasn't uncommon for me to get laid up for weeks over a minor wound. I couldn't work the scavenger trade because it was too dangerous. It was tough to make ends meet, mostly because my medical supplies were so expensive. We had bills piling up because of my treatments. My brothers encouraged me to do whatever I could to work and not let my disability stop me, so I worked odd jobs and gathered scrap that washed ashore."

"You grew up a scavenger?"

I nodded at Alisa's question. "Sort of. I also did everything from housecleaning to construction."

"Huh. I can't say I know much about that kind of life. At least being on an island meant there weren't much Aragami, I hope."

I nodded again. "It was pretty quiet most of the time. But things all changed in an instant. One day about a year ago, a boat washed up on the beach by my house. It was the biggest find I'd ever seen, and I was all excited. It was really ratty, and didn't seem seaworthy anymore. Even in that state, it'd be worth several thousand fc. I was checking it out, when I saw something. Lying in the boat under a pile of rags was this unconscious boy with a red armlet. He was half-drowned, badly injured, and near death."

"Goodness!" Alisa seemed shocked at what I said. "He was lucky that you found him. Did stuff like that happen often?"

I shook my head. "That was the first time anything like that happened in Ryukyu. I knew he'd die if I left him, so I brought him home to help him. I learned that his name was Hinata. He was a God Eater, escorting a fishing fleet trawling further north. While out a few days prior, his fleet had been attacked by Aragami. Hinata had become separated from the fleet, and his boat was damaged. Hinata had told me that he thought he was going to die all alone. I felt really bad for him. My brothers weren't terribly happy that I brought home another mouth to feed. Kai in particular wanted to kick Hinata out as soon as he was able to walk. I had to beg my brothers to let him stay. Ichiro agreed to let Hinata stay with us, provided he could pull his weight. Once he'd recovered, which only took a week I might add, Hinata was all too eager to return the favor. He told us he owed us his life, and he was willing to work for us as long as it took to repay the debt. Turns out Hinata was the best thing that happened to our family in a long time. He was a very diligent worker, and he had this inspiring, cheerful attitude too. He never once complained about having to work." I started toying with a stray strand of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail. "I admit, I was head-over-heels for him."

I felt a blush come on as I continued with a smile, "He was amazing. Strong, kind, inspiring, handsome… much more than a girl like me could ever have. He was a God Eater, so he could pick pretty much any girl he desired. So, imagine my surprise when I learned it was _me_ he wanted. Ichiro thought it was the funniest thing ever that a God Eater would fall for some sickly village girl, and he used to tease us. But Kaito was behind me the whole way, and he encouraged us. I was completely star-struck though, and I couldn't care less if either of them approved. It was nice that Kai did, at least. Even Ichiro eventually warmed up to us being an item, especially once I learned I was a match for the God Eater program. They were proud to have a God Eater in the family, even a future one."

Alisa giggled at me, and I gave her a look. "What? Did I say something funny?"

Alisa's grin grew further, "No. I just couldn't help noticing you smile just now. You seemed really happy. I haven't ever seen you smile like that before. You must really love him."

"I did," I said with a forlorn tone, "It was pretty much love at first sight for us. We were inseparable."

Alisa's face dropped. "You keep using past tense. Did something happen?"

My face fell as I recalled, "Yeah. Four months ago, Ryukyu was attacked by a huge swarm of Aragami, all lead by a Quetzalcoatl. Remember how I said there were no God Eaters at Ryukyu? That was because we'd never seen even so much as a Zygote there, let alone a Deusphage. It was a massacre. We were cut down like a field of wheat. Hinata fought so hard to protect us. He was brave to the last. But… nobody survives a point-blank missile, not even a God Eater. I only survived because I was buried under the rubble of our house. I would've died out there if Hinata hadn't sounded an SOS during the attack. I was saved by a rescue team sent from a nearby base, but I was badly hurt. During my treatment, I learned that a God Arc had been found for me. I also learned the fate of Ryukyu. Every man, woman, and child in Ryukyu was gone, my brothers were gone, and my boyfriend was gone. I had nothing to go back to."

"So, I threw myself right into being a God Eater. I was transferred immediately to a tiny little base up by Mount Fuji. It's called The Valley. I trained there, just burying myself in my job. I wanted to forget my past, but… one does not just forget something like that. I isolated myself from my peers and just kept to myself. It was lonely, but I was too afraid to open up. About two months later, Jackal came along. He just showed up out of nowhere, and he had no memories. At first, I just thought he was annoying; he kept following me around and asking question after question. I eventually came to like his company. Now, I feel like he's the only one I can trust completely. I feel like he's helped me open back up, but I still have trouble trusting people. Maybe its escapism to act like this, but… I guess I'm still having a hard time." I lowered my head again. "I'm sorry."

Alisa shook her head. "What? No, no, it's me who should be apologizing! I made you tell a story like that… _I'm_ sorry."

"Now you know." I said briskly as I stared below again.

I didn't know how long we just sat in the rain before she said, "Shouldn't we get inside? I think the storm's worsening."

I was so lost in thought that I didn't even realize the rain had gotten this bad! What was once a mere drizzle was now a downpour. I was soaked to the bone. I saw that Alisa looked pretty drenched too. I stood back up. "I didn't even notice! Sor-"

Alisa cut me off. "Stop apologizing, Robin. It's not like God Eaters can get the cold. Even if I could catch a cold, it'd be worth it. You look better."

I looked quizzically at her and said, "I look better? I look like a wet cat."

That made Alisa laugh. "If you're a wet cat, then I'm a fish! Let's go dry off. Oh, and when you're done, meet up with me in the lobby. I took a mission and I need your help. I think a mission will help you vent some stress."

"Really?" I asked as I made my way to the lift, "What's the plan?"

"I need some help with a problem Aragami that popped up in the Sunken Grid. Oh, Kota and Lindow are coming too."

"I don't mind. What's the target?"

"It's a Susano'o, I hope that's okay."

I take it back. I _do_ mind if a Deusphage is the target! "A Susano'o?!"

"We really need you, Robin. That thing has already taken out an entire caravan that was passing through. We can't afford to leave that Aragami be."

I nodded in resignation. I wasn't sure I was ready for this, but if it's killed people already then Alisa was right. I couldn't let it be. "Alright. I'll come. Just give me a chance to dry off, and I'll meet up with you soon."


	12. The Mutant

_The Mutant_

It was still raining when I returned to the rooftop. In fact, I think the rain was even worse than earlier. What had started off as a light shower was now nearly a sheet of rain. I was slightly annoyed at having dried off for no reason, but left the lift to wait by the helipad anyway. I couldn't find Alisa in the lobby, so I decided I may as well enjoy the weather. I actually didn't really care that I was getting wet again. I liked the rain. Something about a good storm just felt calming and Zen. It was like it was washing away my anxieties. Leaning back against a support beam, I glanced over my back and made sure that I was still alone. I had decided on a quick catharsis before the mission, and no one needed to know about it. I dug into a pocket inside my jacket and drew out a certain memento.

"It's only been a few short months, hasn't it? To think that's all it took to transform this weakling of a villager into a soldier. If I could tell the me from back then that I'd be fighting a Deusphage today, I'd scoff at the idea… we both would've." A bittersweet smile bent at my lips as my fingers curled around the relic. I didn't even need to look to know what I held. It was an item that I knew as though it was a part of me, the only thing I had left of Hinata. I looked down at the armlet in my hand as the rain parted over the overhang like a waterfall around me.

"Is this kind nervousness what you felt _all_ the time before a hard fight?" I spoke aloud as I traced a finger along the bracelet's edge, "I've fought countless lesser Aragami before, but this… this is no normal fight. Last time I faced a Deusphage was a disaster. I lost my friends… I lost my family… and I lost you. You once told me that fear is the only difference between courage and madness, and madmen don't possess fear. I've become stronger than I ever dreamed I would, but the truth is that I'm still so weak. Maybe one day I can become as tough as you were, and brave enough to honor you." I clasped both hands tightly around the implant as I strained to bite back tears, "Watch over me, Hinata. I'll need your strength more than ever today…"

"That was really beautiful, Robin."

"Eeyah!" I shrieked and jumped so high at the sudden voice that I hit my head on the overhang. I flinched and missed my landing, slipped in the rain, and ended up in a puddle on my butt with a splash. Hinata's armlet landed square in my lap with a wet smack, and I looked up with an "o" of astonishment frozen on my face. I saw Alisa, Kota, and Lindow had somehow appeared behind me. They all had bewildered and surprised looks on their faces, and I felt my face redden. So much for a private moment: talk about awkward!

"Oh! Are you hurt?" Alisa leaned down and extended a hand to me, "Here, let me help you up."

"Ah, I-I-I'm okay… how embarrassing," I sputtered as I picked myself up with Alisa's help.

"Were you talking to an armlet just now?" Kota asked.

I nodded once and looked down at the armlet again. "Just remembering an old friend who saved my life."

Kota seemed at a loss for words and simply said "Oh," in reply. I noticed that Lindow was staring at the implant, then at me with a dead serious expression. I hadn't seen him look this grim before. I returned his gaze silently, but he still didn't break eye contact.

Lindow finally spoke up and extended a hand, "May I see that implant for a moment?" I nodded once, watching Lindow's actions carefully as he met my eyes again. Something about that look he gave me just now… was that pity or empathy? I couldn't quite tell. He gently took the armlet from me, examining it critically.

"I thought I recognized that mark," he said as he turned it over and over repeatedly, "This has the Far East's emblem engraved on it. This belonged to one of ours…" Lindow was quiet for several long moments before he returned Hinata's armlet to me. "The transmitter's fried and I can't read it. What was their name? Maybe we knew each other."

This wasn't the kind of conversation I planned on having right before a mission. I briefly froze up and I had to take a deep breath to regain my nerve. "His name was Hinata Ito, and his codename was Senryuu. Did you know him?"

"Hinata Ito…" Lindow shook his head, "Doesn't ring a bell right away. I'll have to check NORN when we get home from the hunt. I'm sorry for bringing that up. Losing a friend is never easy."

I slipped the implant into my jacket pocket and zipped it tightly shut. "He died trying to protect my hometown from a Quetzalcoatl about four months ago. He gave his life to save mine. My dream is that one day I can become even half as courageous as he was…"

"Hey, you're way braver than you think already!" Kota cut in, "Remember when you chucked that scale at Tsuchinoko? That was pretty badass. I bet Hinata was cheering from up above, you know?" Kota suddenly broke out into a cheerful grin and nudged me in the back, "Let's go kick that Susano'o's ass and be back before dinner. Show Hinata how strong you got!"

Alisa laughed a little, "That's right. You had a good idea earlier. I really liked that part you said about courage. How'd it go…?"

"It's something Hinata used to tell me: 'The only difference between courage and madness is fear, and madmen don't possess fear.'"

Lindow hummed in approval, "That's not bad. I like it. It's a decent rule to live by. Keep thinking on that one, got it Robin?"

"Everyone…" I nodded affirmatively and gained a beam of my own. I saw my teammates smile in turn and my mood rose. I was still nervous, but I felt much better now. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being a downer right before a fight like this…"

Alisa shook her head. "What'd I tell you about all that apologizing, Robin? Don't do that. There's nothing to be sorry for."

"Sorry, Alisa." I blurted before I could stop myself.

"Hey, don't make me turn that into an order!" Alisa put a hand on her hip, still smiling at me.

"Right… sor-" I cut myself off as Alisa gave me an even bigger smirk. I scratched my head and started laughing at myself. That made Alisa laugh too, and soon we both were wiping tears of mirth from our faces.

"I think we missed something." Lindow exchanged looks with Kota, whose reply was a querying grunt and a puzzled hands-up gesture.

I looked up to the sound of thumping chopper blades and saw the vehicle descend to the helipad. Our ride was here. I looked back at my allies one more time. Lindow nodded encouragingly, Kota flashed a thumbs-up, and Alisa gently nudged me forward. I still couldn't say I was looking forward to fighting a Deusphage, but with people like this by my side I felt far more confident. Maybe I'd be the one to surprise Jackal with a trophy this time.

O-O-O-O-O

The chopper ride was largely quiet. I spent the majority of the ride just staring out the window and lost in thought. The conversation we had earlier was weighing heavy on my mind, and I was still pondering what I was told. Meanwhile, Kota was trying to start a conversation about some show called "Bugarally" with Alisa, who seemed disinterested and busied herself with a report. When he was met with silence, he tried speaking to me next. I had no clue what he was going on about, as I'd never seen the show.

"Kota, stop bugging us." Alisa finally looked up from the report, "We're busy."

"Busy? Yeah, I see you are, but Robin's just staring off…" He nudged me, "C'mon, Robin I'm bored stupid over here!"

"I have no idea what to say. I've never even heard of Bugarally." I replied, still staring into the rain.

"Whaaaat?!" Kota's eyes widened, "It's like, the best show ever! The story's a little heavy, but the action's where it's really at! I gotta introduce you when we get back! You act just like the hunter girl Riu, you know. All aloof and quiet and stuff. But she was only like that because she thought her boyfriend betrayed her family and didn't trust anyone after that. You're like that because you miss Hinata, right?"

"Stop comparing people to anime characters," Alisa scolded, "That's insensitive."

"I don't care if you do or don't," I said, "Just let me be, please. I need to think…"

"Okay, got it. Sorry." I heard him shift in his seat, "Hey, Lindow?"

"Hm? Didn't hear you. I was sleeping." I heard Lindow yawn and stand up. "Oh, would you look at that. We're here."

 _This is the place? It looks really chewed up…_ I noted as I looked to where the chopper was descending. It looked like the remains of a power plant, possibly a nuclear type. Steel beams and rusted walkways littered the area like children's toys. I noticed the majority of the ruins were situated on a large pond that sprawled across the middle of the area, leaving a large green plains surrounding them. Several gray, boxy buildings loomed like specters nearby, abandoned and silent. Come to think of it, this place seemed far more industrial than the City of Mercy. Maybe this was a factory before the Aragami. Whatever the case, it was now the nest of a Susano'o, and I had the dubious honor of killing it. Joy.

Without another word, I jumped from the heli to the ground. I landed on the grass with a wet plop. It was raining here too, but not quite as fiercely as at the Far East. I heard my allies land nearby, followed by the fading beat of the chopper's blades. It was time to work.

"Okay, I have all of your signals this time. I'm not going to lose the signal like I did with Garuda!" I heard Hibari over my radio, "The Oracle signature is coming from the retention pond area. Be careful out there, okay? I want to see all of you come home alive."

"Never fear, Hibari. Remember who has an over 90% survival rate with other God Eaters? Odds are in my favor." Lindow hoisted his sword over a shoulder. "Welp, its show time kids. Let's head for the signal. Sound good, team?" When we all agreed, we left for the center of the area by the pond.

We only just arrived when I heard a wet, chewing sound. I froze in place, tilting my head to listen better. The rhythmic sound continued, and I exchanged looks with my teammates. Lindow put a finger to his lips and gestured towards the walkway. I nodded and quietly stalked across the platform to the central island. Sure enough, there was the Susano'o, feeding on a freshly killed Chi-you. Right away, I saw something strange. The beast had a huge set of plated wings folded across its back, ending in a set of hand-like talons. It looked almost like a giant set of Chi-You wings. I could only stare dumbstruck for a few moments, trying to parse what I was seeing.

"There it is!" Lindow said in a low voice and pointed his Arc in the direction of the beast, "But wait… something's strange. Since when do Susano'o have wings?"

Good question. No Aragami of the Borg Calmann line ever sported wings before. Maybe it was some kind of adaptation? Or maybe it was simply imitating the Chi-You it was eating? Either way, I had a bad feeling about this.

As the Susano'o continued to tear chunks out of its meal, I noticed several other features that did not look quite right. Most Susano'o were black with violet accents. This one was black too, and had blue and gold accents, the same color as its Chi-You like wings. I saw its legs were covered in armor plating, resembling a Chi-You's armored legs. I glared at my Spear in mild annoyance. If its legs were now armored, then my Spear would have little effect on that part. I'd have to aim for the claws instead, and break the legs with my emitters and bombs. At least I had changed to a Divine Spear variant before the fight, and I hoped that this mutant still had the same weakness.

"What the hell?" Kota's astonishment spoke for all of us, "It's… part Chi-You? What are we dealing with here?"

"This Aragami's signature is not the same as other Susano'os! It's possible this is some new variant. Caution strongly advised! Do not hesitate to retreat if things get hairy, got it?" I heard Hibari caution us over the radio.

"Understood." Alisa answered.

"We should definitely plan to retreat if it turns out to be too dangerous," I agreed, "I don't want another Tsuchinoko incident…"

Alisa changed her Arc to Sword form. "It still acts like a Borg, so let's treat it like one. Let's plan an ambush before it sees us. Kota, I want you to aim for its face or claws. Give it a good couple hits with your lasers and try to hit it broadside. Lindow, you and I should split and go for the claws."

"And me?" I asked.

"Robin, you use a Blast Cannon, right?" I nodded affirmatively as she continued, "You should cover my back for a moment. Give this thing your best bomb, and when you're out of ammo, you'll take vanguard with me. Kota, stick with Lindow and stay out of its tail range while you shoot. Back us up with some of your shock traps."

"Got it!" I replied as I changed to my most powerful Divine bomb. Like many of my customized shots, this one would require a lot of OP, so I took several O-Ampules as I activated my Oracle Reserve. I was too far out of range to hit it with this shot though. I'd have to wait until I was closer.

Suddenly the Susano'o whirled to face us, still carrying the corpse of its prey in a claw. A bit of Chi-You hung from its mouth as it stared at us. It gave us the feral look a tiger might give the deer it was going to eat. The Aragami screamed at us, flaring its mane and slamming the ground with its claws and talons in a threat display. I swallowed hard. At least this thing is too big to fly… right?

"Looks like it noticed us. Look alive!" Lindow warned as the beast charged us. To my dismay, it leaped into the air and glided right our way. I had no time to switch to melee or run, so I hit the dirt instead. It slammed into us like a battering ram, and I heard my partners scream from nearby. I wasn't spared, but I didn't take a serious hit either. I spun to my feet and noticed that I was right under its front: a perfect spot to fire. I loosed my bomb and back-stepped away. The blast was strong enough to make the Aragami reel in pain. I could see that it's right foreleg was unbound, revealing a Susano'o's normal paw under the Chi-You armor.

 _Okay, so it really **is**_ _just a Susano'o under there! I just have to keep it up!_ I switched to my Spear and moved to guard Alisa as we planned. A yelp from Kota got my attention, and my head snapped towards him. The Susano'o had managed to grab Kota in a claw and had lifted him up into the air! His gun was pinned to his side, and Kota was completely defenseless.

"Wah! Put me down, you freak! I am _not_ your dinner!" Kota protested as he tried to pry his Arc from the monster's claw.

"Kota! Hold on!" Lindow charged from the right, stabbing the Aragami in the other claw in an attempt to force it to drop him. The Susano'o responded by stabbing him with its tail blade and forcing Lindow to deploy his shield and stop attacking.

"I'm coming!" Alisa switched to melee and joined Lindow, "Robin, help us!"

"Roger!" I had an idea just then, but I had to act fast while the thing was distracted with Lindow and Alisa. I strafed around the creature's other side, and let it have a leaping Charge Glide to the claw holding Kota. This finally made the Susano'o drop him, and we both landed some ways away. I skidded on my feet, but Kota slid on his back roughly.

"You okay?" I asked and held out a hand.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Kota nodded as he righted himself, then pointed behind me, "Robin, look out!"

I spun and deployed my shield just in time to deflect a stab. I made it in time, but it left me wide open for a counter. The creature whirled, knocking me over sideways with a tailspin. I rolled across the ground and landed on my front, slightly dazed. Okay, _that_ one hurt a lot! I'd need to heal up soon. The Susano'o had other ideas. It stabbed at the ground and loosed bursts of energy at me. I was forced to evade multiple times and still got hit yet again. The blast was enough to knock me off my feet and send me rolling across the platform. I landed roughly against a fallen beam, which struck me hard in the back and drove the breath from my lungs. Stars swam in front of my eyes and I slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

"Robin! You're taking too many hits! Fall back and heal!" I heard Alisa's warning, but I was too weak to get up. I could only lie there, catching my breath and willing my unresponsive limbs to move.

"Dammit!" I heard Lindow shout, "We have to help her!" He tried to maneuver over to me, but was driven aside by a sudden barrage of orbs from the Susano'o's wing-talons.

"I got it! Somebody cover me!" I saw Kota break away from Lindow and hurry towards me. The Aragami responded with a rain of explosive scales. Kota ducked low and managed to rush through the bursting scales without getting hit. I couldn't help noting that Kota seemed to have a lot more experience than his attitude revealed. He kneeled down to my level and took my hand in his. I saw vines snake out from both of our armlets and intertwine. A jolt of energy flowed down my arm and into me. I instantly felt much stronger.

"You doing better, Robin? Good." Kota grabbed me by the wrist and helped me to my feet as the vines withdrew, "That was one nasty blast, huh?"

"Thank you, Kota." I looked back to the Susano'o, "Now to pay this thing back in spades!" I reloaded my Oracle Reserve and changed to melee again.

Kota seemed inspired suddenly. "Hey, you got another of those super-strong bombs of yours? Let's try to break the other leg too. It'll give us bigger targets."

"Sounds good. I'll need to build up though. Try to break the wings! Maybe we can disarm it a bit." I suggested.

"Gotcha! Go do your thing!" Kota fell further back as the Susano'o came charging again. I flipped aside and retaliated with a flurry of stabs to its face. Alisa rained Divine mortars from behind, and Lindow started hacking away at its bare leg. I paused to ready a Charge Glide.

That was a mistake. The Aragami spun again, slapping all four of us aside with its tail again. To my surprise, I was lifted off my feet and high into the air. I slammed into the wall painfully and tumbled to the ground again. This time, I was able to stand with moderate pain. I noticed my team had taken severe hits too, so I launched a Restore Post.

"Over here, everyone! Healing post set!" I called as I finished setting it up. The Susano'o lunged for me yet again, holding its body low for another snap.

 _Not this time, beast!_

I fired my bomb point-blank into the Aragami's face. The blast was strong enough to knock me on my butt and sent the Susano'o flying. It flew out the corridor and outside. Talk about a lucky shot. A loud clang from outside told me that the landing was not pleasant. I took advantage of the creature's fall to close in. I found it flailing around on its back like a flipped turtle.

"All together now! Attack!" Alisa ordered as everyone charged the thing at once. We struck mercilessly, all aiming for its exposed underbelly. It screamed and thrashed, trying to sweep us away with its limbs, but we were faster. It eventually scrambled to its feet, looking far worse for wear. We'd managed to break the wings, and now only glowing stubs remained where its wings once were.

"Alright, let's keep up that momentum!" Lindow encouraged. I nodded and dared a proud smile.

The Aragami was unamused, and it displayed its rage with a tail-stab in our direction. I couldn't block it, so I tried back-flipping away. The monster's tail missed impaling me, but its tip did hit me in the face. Warmth trickled down my face, and I cried out in pain. I lunged with a stab of my own. My Charge Glide hit it square in the claw, sending it to its knees. I back-flipped aside again as the Susano'o fell. I stood ready, changing to Predator form as I watched for any sign of it recovering. It did not stand, and I Devoured its core to ensure it would never rise again. I stood there for several long moments, unwilling to let my guard down. Black mist finally rose from the mutant's body as its form began to decay away. That was he sign I needed to see. I allowed my stance to relax as I tried to slow my pulse and stop shaking.

 _I… I won! I killed a Deusphage! I really did it! Did you see that, Hinata?! I did it!_

"Ha… haha!" I laughed, more from nerves than mirth, "That was… tough!"

"Good job! We did it." Lindow turned from the Aragami's corpse to face me. His triumphant smile fell when his eyes met mine. I stared back, not sure why he was looking at me like that. "Hey kid? You know you're bleeding, right?"

"Geez! How did you not even notice that?!" Kota yelled, "You're a mess!"

I wiped my face with my wrist, and flinched in surprise when my hand came away red. I felt more blood run down my face, and my smile fell a notch. "I didn't notice I got hit like that…" I took out a Recovery Pill II and swallowed it, "Sorry. Is it bad?"

Lindow shook his head, "I don't think it's serious, but you kinda look like crap. Go get that treated when we get back, got it?"

"It got you in the right cheek," Alisa added in as I continued to rub my face to find where I was bleeding from, "That might be hard to bandage up in the field like this. Hold still and let me try."

I looked back to Alisa sheepishly, "Thanks, and-"

Alisa cut me off as she started taping a gauze to my cheek, "Don't say it, Robin. We're friends. Apologies are for strangers."

Friends, huh? Well, I guess I feel like I can trust these guys a little, especially Alisa. Does that make us all friends then? I wasn't so sure, but I was certainly willing to see. I could really use a chat with Jackal right now. As I waited for the chopper to arrive, I became lost in thought again.

 _I wonder, what are you up to right now, Jackal?_


	13. A Day Off

_A Day Off_

I opened my eyes as the first rays of morning sun fell on my face. I turned in my bed, looking at the clock on the dresser nearby. "6:58", it read. I woke up two minutes before my alarm, but it didn't really matter. I'd just now run out of sleep anyway. Last night had given me some very weird dreams. The one just now saw me fighting naked against a herd of Ogretails with Jackal accompanying me. How bizarre. I turned to get up, but I was still half-asleep and I rolled right out of bed. I yelped and tried to catch myself, but my legs became caught in my bedsheets and I landed face-first on the floor with my legs still tangled up.

I groaned and untangled myself from my blanket. I sat there on the floor for a moment, rubbing my eyes and stretching. Before I could shake the stiffness of sleep from my legs, the alarm suddenly beeped. I sprang to my feet with a start, and promptly banged my head on the corner of the dresser. This knocked the alarm clock off, which hit me in the head before landing, still beeping, into my lap. I silenced the alarm and sat it back on the dresser. I sat on my feet for a moment, groaned, and nursed a growing goose-egg on top of my head.

 _Okay, ow... talk about a rude wake-up call. I should go shower. That'll feel good._

I stood up headed right for the bathroom, changed out of my nightgown, and went to the shower. As I passed in front of the mirror in my bathroom, I noticed the gauze still taped to my cheek. I debated for a second whether or not to leave it there, then carefully peeled it loose. To my surprise, the facial wound I suffered yesterday had closed, but it did leave a long, ugly scar. I frowned at my face and rubbed my cheek.

 _Geez, this thing's in a bad place. Is makeup even going to cover this?_

I sighed inwardly and started my shower. I turned the water warmer than usual, letting the warmth relax me. I was content to take a little longer than I originally planned. Who cares? I was enjoying the solitude and this chance to just let go. Nothing was going to stop me from enjoying this.

"YEOW!"

I screamed and jumped, still covered in soap suds. The water temperature had suddenly spiked, causing me to squeal in pain and surprise. I then slipped in the stall and landed flat on my back. The water was so hot that it hurt. I clawed my way past the curtain and out of the stall as steam started pouring out of the shower. I grimaced and readjusted the temperature to as cold as I could get it. That had no effect at all. I scowled and glared into the mist. I wanted a _warm_ shower, not a scalding hot one! I was still covered in soap, so I couldn't just stop here. I had no choice but to rinse off with the water like this. I braced myself and darted back into the shower, finishing up as fast as I could. I only stayed long enough to rinse myself, then bolted and turned off the water. I was left red and mildly burned. What happened to the water? That stuff was almost hot enough to rival a Blaze Aragami. I love a hot shower, but not _this_ hot...

 _What a day I'm having! And it's barely even begun…_

First things first, I had to get dressed. I picked myself up and went to my closet. I considered a different outfit than usual briefly, then thought better of it. The way my luck was going today, I'd probably wind up with mismatched socks, or a hole in my pants or my shirt inside out, or… wait a minute! I pawed around my closet in a flurry as a realization dawned on me: all of my bras and panties were missing! This was _way_ worse than any of those other things!

 _This can't be happening!_

I looked everywhere I could think of, but my clean underwear was all missing. I checked the closet drawers, under my bed, the bathroom, and even the washer and dryer but to no avail. Only the dirty set from last night remained. I glared at my closet in dismay. I had no choice now but to just re-wear yesterday's underwear. Great. I stewed quietly as I got dressed. Still in a foul mood, I sat on my bed. Or, I tried to sit. I missed my seat and fell painfully on the floor. I just growled like an angry Aragami and glared at the window as I fumed. I'd had quite a rough morning, and I hadn't even gone to get breakfast yet. I needed to get a grip.

 _I give up…_

The sun hadn't quite risen all the way, and the sunrise was casting my room in an orange haze that seemed to bounce off the white walls. Long shadows exaggerated the effect. Other than the washer and dryer, the dresser, the bed, a couch at the other end of the room, and the Terminal, my room was pretty Spartan. I haven't had much chance to decorate in here. I should do something about that later. I got a little idea just then: I should put up some of my art. I need to draw more though, something nice to take my mind off my bad mood.

But first, I wanted some breakfast. I just dearly hoped I didn't have a mission already. I stood up again and sat on the couch as I checked for any missions. An email notice popped in just then. I opened it to find a notice from the maintenance team. The cold water was out, and was expected to be repaired by tomorrow. At least that explained what the heck happened to my shower… but why didn't I know about this earlier? I should learn to check my Terminal first thing in the morning from now on. There was one bit of good news: the Terminal showed no missions today. I had a rare free day. That was a relief. My mood rose slightly. I had time to eat after all. In fact, I had time to do whatever I wanted. Nice.

I left my room in a slightly better mood. Once I've had the chance to eat and calm down, I should go to the roof. It's actually kind of nice up there. It'll make a good spot to draw. For now, I decided to go to the cafeteria for breakfast.

I arrived and instantly noticed a huge line wrapping all the way around the food counter, and around the edge of the room as well. The room itself was crowded too, and there were people everywhere. It looked like just about every God Eater in the Far East was here at once. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. There still had to be at least forty people in line, and forty more eating at the tables. I wondered why it was so busy today. I figured if I wanted to get anything today, I better get in line soon. I walked over to the back of the line, picking up a meal tray along the way. To my surprise, I wound up right behind a familiar face.

"Hi, Robin!" Kanon waved at me excitedly, "I haven't seen you in a while. You showed up at a great time! They're serving crepes today!"

"Crepes?" I asked, "What are 'crepes'?"

Kanon's cheerful smile changed to a baffled expression. "You mean you've never had crepes before?!" When I simply stared in response, she burst out into another smile. "Are you ever in for a treat! They're so good! They're kind of like pancakes, but sweet. They come with all kinds of toppings like fruit, and chocolate, and cream, or even plain, so there's something for everyone. I just love them, especially the strawberry-filled ones!"

"Sweet pancakes? Sounds delicious!" I was instantly intrigued. I loved sweets, so the idea of a sweet pancake had my full attention. "I guess everyone's into these things?"

Kanon nodded, "Oh yes. You can see for yourself. We don't get the right ingredients very often though, so it's always a rush to get any. You should show up early next time!"

"I would've, but I've had a very rough morning..." I said with a rather melancholy tone. Just thinking about this morning was making me feel sullen again. I decided to focus on the crepes. Yes, crepes! They sounded like just the thing I needed right now.

"Me too." Kanon's face darkened slightly, then perked back up just as quickly, "Hey, mind if we sit together? I have something I wanna talk to you about."

"Sure," I said, "I don't mind." We continued to chat for a while as we waited. The line was moving quickly, but we still had to wait a good twenty minutes. By the time I was getting close, my legs were getting cramped and I was bored. After what felt like forever, my turn was next up. I tried to find where these crepes were. In the containers, I saw scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, and what looked like rolled up pancakes covered in blueberries. That last one had to be it. I just had to wait for Kanon to make her request patiently.

"One order of crepes, and a carton of milk please!" she called over the counter.

One of the workers, an old woman with thin, frizzled gray hair turned to face her. "That all?" she said in a tone that reminded me of a growling cat. She had narrow eyes, a face that resembled a wrinkled prune, and a very severe look to her. I found myself shifting in place uneasily. That face she was making reminded me of Viper.

"That's right," Kanon answered, "I'm on a diet. Can't let myself get fat now."

"I didn't ask you why!" the lady snapped, "Hand over that tray and keep moving!"

"Geez calm down, Hilda. Here." Kanon pushed her tray under the plastic divider, which the cafeteria worker snatched with a temperamental grumble. She scooped the crepes out and plopped them on the tray as she slapped a milk carton on it as well. She pushed the tray in Kanon's direction, then glared back at the line.

"That's it!" she roared loudly enough to make me flinch, "We're out of crepes! You brats better have your _other_ orders ready!"

Disappointment rumbled through the line and my face dropped. Out of crepes? Really? And who pissed in _this_ lady's oatmeal?! I had to take a deep breath to avoid screaming in frustration. I'd had more than enough of this old lady's attitude already, so I ordered quickly. "I'll have the sausage, and the hash browns, and I'll have a glass of water to drink."

The cranky lunch-lady who Kanon called Hilda shot her glower to me. "Didn't you read your emails, kid?! Cold water's out, idiot! If you want hot water, then be my guest."

"Uh..." I was getting so tense that I was beginning to sweat, "milk then?"

With the same ire, Hilda slapped my food messily on the tray and shoved it to me as she snorted my way. The tray slid across the counter, and I saw it tilt off the edge and fall. I lunged to catch my tray, and missed. It bounced off my hand and clattered across the floor, spilling my breakfast all over the place. I could only stand there in stupefied anger for several long moments.

"Hey, move your ass, brat!" Hilda barked, "If you wanna try that again, get in line like everyone else!"

 _That does it!_

Without saying a word, I stormed out of line and over to the nearest seat, pausing only long enough to grab my egg-covered milk carton off the floor. I'd have to go back to the end of the line to get food again, but I had lost my appetite. To top it off, I was in a _really_ foul mood now. God, what a day! I sighed loudly and flopped in my seat, steaming in anger as I stared down at my milk carton. I noticed a few other God Eaters scoot away from me just then, but I couldn't care less at the time. I was so mad I could just scream.

"Um... is it still okay if I sit here? Or do you need some space?" I looked up and saw Kanon standing beside me looking a little nervous. I took another deep breath, softened my glare, and patted the seat next to me.

Kanon sat down and gave me a sympathetic look. "I am so sorry about all that. Hilda's like that to everyone, even the Director."

I popped my milk carton open grumpily. "Can't catch a freakin' break today! This sucks."

"I know, right?" Kanon put a hand on my shoulder, "Cheer up. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as my morning. Someone broke into my room last night."

I took a big drink of my milk. "What makes you think that?"

Kanon lowered her voice. "Some of my clothes were missing. Some... private things."

I nearly spat my milk out and gave her a surprised look. "You too?! I thought I might have just misplaced mine somehow..."

"What?!" Kanon gave me an equally shocked look that changed just as quickly to fury. "So it wasn't just me then! That stupid pervert! Ooh, when I get my hands on him, there's gonna be hell to pay!"

It sounded like she might have an idea who the culprit was. I was feeling vengeful, and I vigorously nodded my agreement. Now, who was this panty thief? "Save some for me too. You know who it is?"

Kanon shook her head. "No. I'm going to file a report with the Director soon. Maybe he can pull up some security camera footage or something." She pushed a second tray and set of cutlery to me, "Here, I'll split my crepes with you. Food always cheers me up."

"You sure? Thanks." I smiled and gratefully accepted Kanon's offer. I took an experimental bite and was delighted. Kanon was right, these things were amazing! No wonder everyone goes crazy for the crepes around here! I owed her one, big time!

Kanon grinned, "No problem. It's the least I can do after what happened. I hope the rest of your day was okay?"

"Not really..." As we ate, I told her about my morning: falling out of bed, hitting the dresser, getting scalded by the shower, falling in the bathroom, then discovering my underwear was missing. I left out the breakfast fiasco, she saw the whole thing. If I hadn't been the one who went through it, I might've thought it was an exaggeration.

"Oh wow," Kanon looked surprised, "You know, that sounds a lot like me. I'm pretty clumsy too. Why, yesterday I tripped over the rug in my room and fell right on my face. Then, I hit myself in the nose with my God Arc while testing a new bullet and got a nosebleed. Gina wouldn't stop teasing me about it, saying I must've been doing something naughty. To top it off, I had sixteen friendly-fire incidents too… and all that before noon!"

I looked at her. "Friendly fire?"

Kanon's grin grew embarrassed. "Yeah. Told you I'm clumsy."

"Don't worry, I know the feeling. Can't say I know so much about all the friendly-fire though." I gave her a friendly smile, "We have more in common than I thought."

Kanon laughed happily, "Right? I tell you, it's not fair being constantly compared to everyone else. You know, I wouldn't mind going on a mission with you tomorrow if you're game. Today's a day off for me, so I plan to do a whole lot of nothing today."

"It's a day off for me too. I was thinking of going up to the roof to draw after breakfast. As for that mission, I'd be glad to come. What's the plan?"

"Let's see..." Kanon tilted her head thoughtfully, "Tatsumi said he wanted to go after four Fallen Blaze-Type Gboro-Gboros in the Infernal Subway. It's going to be me, him, Shun, and you if you want to come. If not, I guess maybe it'll be Brendan or Gina instead, I'd have to see what Tatsumi thinks."

I finished my meal and stacked up the cutlery as I stood up, "I'll go with you guys. It's just some Gboro-Gboros, so it'll be easy. I need an easy one after yesterday."

Kanon grinned again, "I like your attitude! I better let you go for now. Oh, before I do, come here a sec." I put my tray back down and came back over. Kanon leaned close to me, looking at me close. "When'd that happen? Yesterday?" She pointed to the mark on my cheek.

I rubbed my cheek self-consciously and nodded. Guess my attempt at covering that scar with makeup was a bust. "I helped Alisa, Kota, and Lindow take out a Susano'o. It got me in the face with its tail."

She gave me a sympathetic flinch. "Ouch. You should get that checked out if that doesn't fade out in a week. Oh, and put this on it. It'll help to cover it up in the meanwhile." Kanon handed me a finger-sized tube of something I'd never seen before.

I was quite surprised by the unexpected gift. "I can have this too? Thank you so much!"

"From one klutz to another," Kanon said as she playfully shot me a wink. "So, see you tomorrow then?"

I stood back up and took my tray. "If I don't run into you before then, sure. Good luck with that thief."

"You'll be the first to know if I learn anything. Later, Robin!" Kanon waved at me as I left. I put my tray in the tray return and left the cafeteria in a far better mood. Maybe I should go talk to Jackal and-

Jackal...

I hadn't worked up the nerve to speak with him since yesterday when he said something that floored me. In hindsight, that was very immature of me to avoid him like that. Recalling how I was acting made me embarrassed at myself. I had to at least apologize. Who knows, maybe he'd be in a better mood today?

 _I should tell him why I did that to him... but what is he going to think of my reason? Then again, what does it matter? Why does he even need to know about Ryukyu, and my brothers, and Hinata? But I'm just lying to both of us by saying nothing... Gah, how am I going to even begin?_

My thoughts were going nuts as I went to the infirmary. I had to pause and gather my nerve before I made up my mind. I'd go. I'd go, and I'd tell him everything. Even if he freaks out again, at least he'll know the truth. I opened the door and walked in. to my relief and disappointment, I didn't see him here.

"Another visitor? I'm popular today."

I turned at the voice coming from a nearby bed. I saw the blonde, punk-like God Eater that Jackal was butting heads with earlier. What's the name…? Karel! That's it. Maybe he knew where Jackal went. I then noticed that he was bandaged in several places and looked quite tired. He must've been injured and seemed like he was recovering. "Oh, sorry if I surprised you, Karel. I didn't see you over there."

Karel shrugged. "Don't worry about it. This isn't exactly a private suite." He grunted as he pulled himself to a more upright position painfully. "Damn, I hate this waiting. I'll lose out on the big hauls at this rate…"

I couldn't help feeling bad for him. I knew all too well what it was like to just wait in the hospital. It sometimes felt like I practically lived in a hospital bed. I also knew being injured could put one in a bad mood. I decided to leave and stop bothering him. "Don't get up for me. I should go."

"Hey, wait Robin." I heard Karel call me.

I turned over my back at him and stopped mid-stride, "Hm?"

"Jackal said he's looking for you. Go track that guy down."

"Jackal's looking for me?" I bit my lip when my voice squeaked in my surprise. How come I didn't know he was out? "When'd he get released?"

"Just this morning, I think. Go ask him for details," He answered me, "and tell him to take the stick out of his ass already. We're all on the same side here."

I guess he and Jackal still didn't see eye-to-eye. "Thank you. I'll go let you rest. Sorry to disturb you." I turned and left quickly before I embarrassed myself further.

"He's out, huh?" I spoke to myself as I glanced back and forth down the hall and hoped I'd catch him. I wondered if Jackal was still in a bad mood. He was hard to deal with in that state. But I was being childish earlier. Even if that _was_ his new personality, I couldn't just hide from him. I made up my mind to help him, even if it hurt. Who knows, maybe the "old" Jackal was still in there somewhere. I wanted to find out.

But first, I wanted to go unwind. Once I'd calmed back down, I'd go find him. I took the lift up to the rooftop again. This was starting to become a favorite spot of mine. Its perch high above the base offered a nice view of the settlement below. It was not quite as serene as the sakura glade, but a nice place in its own way. When the chopper wasn't landing or taking off, it was pretty quiet here compared to the rest of the Den; a perfect spot to do some drawing without anyone hovering over me.

Once I'd arrived, I took up a position leaning against the elevator, on the side facing the Anti-Aragami Wall. As I took out my sketchpad and pencil, I started looking for something to inspire me. My mind was too busy to envision much, so I just settled for the scenery. The Wall would make a decent muse for now. I lowered myself to a sitting position and sketched for a while. I wasn't sure how long I sat there and drew. It didn't matter anyway. I was content to just-

"It's very hot today."

Jackal?! My head snapped up and my pencil slipped out of my hand, rolling into my lap. Sure enough, there he was and he seemed to be in a far better mood. In fact, he seemed much more like his old self. That glazed-over, detached look was gone from his face. I even thought I saw that little smirk he'd get when he had something planned. Jackal looked like he was searching for something. Or, _someone_ I realized as I recalled what Karel said earlier about him looking for me.

 _This is it, my chance to apologize, and a chance to tell him that one thing. Don't let him catch you so surprised to see him._

I picked my pencil back up and feigned being calm. "Hm? Jackal? I didn't think you were one to relax on the roof." I said and watched his response.

"Robin!" he called and gave me one of his classic cheery grins, "I've been trying to find you since yesterday," he continued as he sat next to me.

 _He's more himself now. What a relief! Now I just have to ease back into it. Calmly though._

"Ha ha, really?"

 _Aaaand_ _ **that**_ _didn't sound insincere at all. Get a grip, Robin._

"Well, you know, I fell asleep obviously." Jackal's grin turned sheepish as he scratched his head.

"Of course you did." I replied with another smile.

 _I don't know if I can do this yet. Back up and don't let him see me nervous._

"So why were you looking for me?" I asked with a slightly guarded tone as I scooted back slightly.

My question seemed to surprise Jackal, and his eyes widened. "Damn it. I was so hooked on finding you that I forgot the reason I wanted to." He rubbed his head and fell quiet for a while. After some time, he sighed and turned back to me. "Never mind, I'll remember eventually."

By now, I'd moved halfway across the wall away from Jackal. I noticed him give me a brief look of confusion at my actions. I bit my lip and forced a smile as I tried to look nonchalant. It probably wasn't working because Jackal kept giving me that same look. I better just keep the act up for now...

"So, you were drawing something?" He asked. If he noticed my behavior, he wasn't telling. I wasn't sure what to feel about this.

 _So much for that not being nervous thing. What's wrong with me?_

"Hm? Yeah, just the scene from up here," I said as I put my pencil behind my ear. I'd lost interest in drawing, for now. He really _was_ back to himself! I wasn't going to waste an opportunity like this. Who knew when I'd have time to be alone with him again like this? We talked about whatever came to mind for a while.

Eventually, the topic turned to his stay in the infirmary. "So, how have you been since you got out of the infirmary?"

"Well, I've been fine. I woke up and found Sakuya was in the infirmary too."

"Was she injured? Hurt?" I said, sounding more worried than I meant to show.

He shook his head, "No, no, no, don't worry. She was checking up on me. When I woke up she told me to... find you and..." Jackal suddenly got a satisfied look as he seemed to remember something, "ask about what happened yesterday."

Oh geez, he asked about _that._ I wasn't even sure what to say. What he said that day after his meltdown... did he forget? I tried to find my words, but wound up saying something useless instead.

"Ha ha, oh really?" I laughed nervously. I think I tipped him off, because he was giving me that look again.

"Is something up?" he asked me.

 _Crap!_ _ **Now**_ _what do I do?!_

"No, why do you ask?" I forced my face to a neutral expression, but I think he saw through it.

"Well, you've been inching away from me for a while now. You've already reached the edge of this wall. I'm pretty sure that you're already turning to inch along the other wall as well. Did I do something wrong?"

 _Oh no! Now I've done it. Okay, okay, okay, just calm back down. Act causal..._

"What? No, no, no, no. I -" I was getting more and more flustered.

"Well, how about I make it up to you?" He cut me off and stood up to approach me. I started to squirm from nerves again. "How about we have dinner together? Just the two of us."

Wait, what did he just say? Did he just say what I thought he did?! I was so surprised that my voice squeaked again. "I... Um... I don't think... that's a good idea."

"Come on, Robin. It's not as if I'm asking you to accompany me for a candle-lit dinner for two." Jackal's smile became impish, "Or is that what you'd prefer?"

"Wha?" He isn't serious, is he? Dinner together? My emotions went wild at this. Part of me was absolutely delighted. I'd get to spend some more time with my best friend, so that was welcome. Another part was scared silly. What if he had an episode like yesterday again? But, I was supposed to be helping him, that's what I had decided earlier. Why was I suddenly waffling? I tried to calm myself, but I was an emotional whirlwind.

"You haven't said no." He said teasingly. That was when I noticed he'd been stalking closer and closer to me as he was talking. He was too close for me to just casually scoot away this time. If I wanted to back up, I'd have to be much too obvious.

But I had bigger things on my mind at the moment! I swallowed hard. I wasn't ready for anything like this! "Wha? Then n-"

"Perfect!" He grabbed my by an arm and half-dragged me to the elevator.

"Get off of me, Jackal!" I half-heartedly protested. He'd just made my mind up for me.

When we reached the dorm floor, Jackal continued to haul me down the hall. I wasn't resisting anymore. I hoped he couldn't feel me shaking in his hand though. We paused before the door to his room.

"Wait in my room," he instructed as he unlocked the door, "Feel free to 'freshen up'." Jackal gave me another mischievous smile and scampered off before I could do more than sputter in reply.

 _What's wrong with me? It's just dinner. Relax. It's not like it's a date, right? Well, a date wouldn't be a bad thing, especially after yesterday... I should wait for the right moment._

For what must've been the hundredth time today, I wasn't sure how I felt about this. I wasn't feeling as nervous as earlier, come to think of it. In fact, I wanted to see where her was going with this. For now, I figured I'd wait inside for him and see what Jackal's got planned...

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

I'd taken to fiddling with the end of my ponytail as I waited for Jackal to return. At first, I'd been just sitting at the table waiting, but now I was pacing to busy myself. I was just wondering if I should maybe go find Jackal again when the door started to creak open. I quickly returned to a seat at the table in the middle of the room. To my surprise, Jackal was balancing two cafeteria trays as he slipped quietly into the room. I smiled in amusement. It looked like he sneaked food out of the cafeteria to pull this off. I should've guessed this is what he meant by "dinner together".

"Here you are milady. A scrumptious looking dinner." He slid one tray to me, and put the other across the table from me as he took his seat.

"Thank you, Jackal." I couldn't help smiling. He could be so funny when he's playing around like that.

"You have no idea how difficult it was to get these." Jackal sighed as he slumped into the seat across from me. Now that I considered it, he _had_ put an unusual amount of effort into this. I felt bad for having second thoughts earlier. Jackal's perky mood was infectious though, and just as quickly, I felt my own mood lighten. I should just relax. After all, this was my best friend, not some stranger. Well, maybe I was thinking he was not just a friend... but should I tell him how I really feel? Should I not?

"Yeah, I'm surprised you managed it. Only the higher ups are allowed to eat in their rooms so I'm not surprised that you had difficulty. How did you do it?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"I had to make a plan to get our food and come back here without being seen," he explained.

"You're not usually one to plan ahead, Jackal." I joshed, which earned another silly grin out of Jackal.

"Oh really? Well, when you hear how I did it, you'll think I was a genius," he beamed and thumped himself on the chest. I put my chin in my hands and listened as he regaled me with a tale of how he had to trick one of the cafeteria chefs and make a sly getaway. As Jackal's story continued, I got a mischievous idea of my own. I was in a whimsical mood now, so I thought I'd pull a trick of my own...

By the time Jackal finished his story, my plan was complete. It never failed to amuse me how clever Jackal could be. Let's see how long it takes for him to realize my trick. "You're right. You are a genius," I said honestly.

Jackal almost puffed up with pride. "Of course I am. I am Jackal after all," he thumped himself proudly on the chest again.

He didn't notice! And now to spring it... "Yeah, but you forgot the drinks and the cutlery." That look on Jackal's face was priceless! His cocky smirk instantly changed first to bewilderment, then embarrassment, then annoyance. I couldn't keep a straight face and started laughing.

He made a miffed face at me. "Okay, okay. Laugh it up." I said nothing, but I did giggle a bit as I pulled my hand out from under the table holding both sets of cutlery.

"What?" He blinked a few times as he figured out what I did, "You little minx."

"You did forget the drinks though." I said with a more serious tone. Perhaps I was too serious, as I saw him give me another slight look.

"Hang on." I peered after him as Jackal moved off to the side-kitchen. I could tell he was troubled about something. Was it something I said? Well, maybe it was nothing. I decided to begin on my dinner as I waited.

"Any good?" I looked up to find Jackal setting a glass of water down beside me and a second one in his hand. I noticed he wasn't cringing or holding them gingerly, so maybe the water issue from this morning was over.

"Yeah, it's pretty good." I said happily as I took the glass experimentally. To my relief, it was nice and cold.

"Good, because there was a lot there and I didn't know what you would like," he replied. I honestly didn't mind what I had. Back at Ryukyu, we often had little more than the rations Fenrir sent us, and the rare seafood we could manage from the atoll. Thinking of that, I should tell Jackal what I planned to, and not just the part about my past. I should tell him that he, well... But not now. I was enjoying our small talk too much. But as the afternoon changed to evening, the inevitable came up. I decided to test the waters first...

"Jackal, can I ask you something?"

My tone seemed to have caught him off-guard. Jackal didn't say anything for a moment, but eventually said, "Y-Yeah, what is it?"

"You- you aren't going to forget this, are you?" I wasn't able to maintain eye-contact, and had to turn away. I was starting to get uneasy again. Don't tell me he...

"How would I forget it?"

He's so easygoing. He never beat around the bush like I was doing. I should follow his example and just spit it out. "Well, you do have amnesia, after all. And, you did forget about what happened after the mission yesterday."

 _And, I failed **again**... Just say it, Robin!_

"I'll try not to. I didn't try to forget what happened yesterday either. What did happen to make you take such a serious tone?"

I could barely believe what I just heard. I kept trying to speak, but I had no words. He really _did_ forget. He forgot it all! I remained silent lest I say something insensitive.

 _Now I've really done it. This is so awkward. What can I say after_ _ **that?**_

"I'm sor-" Jackal's sentence was cut short by knocking and a voice shouting Jackal's name from the other side of the door. Before either of us could react, the door opened. A very angry-looking Alisa was there, hands on her hips and a very angry look on her face.

"Jackal! Is this where you've been all this time?!" she roared with a furious glare. I saw her scowl fade almost instantly when she saw me though. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked the last question without such anger.

I should take a hint and go. He had a mission to attend to. I went and ruined the conversation anyway... "No, I was just getting ready to leave."

Without another word, I left and closed the door quietly behind me. By now it was late evening, so I decided to just head to my room for tonight. I flopped down on my bed, staring up at the bare, unadorned ceiling. I had too much on my mind, and I wasn't really in the mood for training, or drawing, or socializing anymore.

Oh, what should I do now? He completely _forgot_ what he did. He totally forgot what he said too! Unbelievable! That wasn't even considering how I spaced out on my original plan to tell him about my past. I'm such a ditz. Why was I getting so bent out of shape anyway? What was I so scared of? What a mess. What a mess I made of this. I can't keep flaking out like this.

 _That's it. I'm going to tell him about everything tomorrow. And absolutely_ _ **no**_ _buts this time! I have to tell him what he did. And I have to tell him how_ _ **I**_ _feel too._


	14. Change of Plans

_Change of Plans_

The rhythmic crash of the sea waves and the rustle of the wind were the only sounds I heard. It had to be mid-morning, and the sun shone piercingly on me. A familiar scent of salt and surf drifted across the breeze. I nestled myself a little deeper into my seat in the ivory sands and started playing with the ground between my feet. This was a place I was even more familiar with than the sakura glade. This was one of my favorite places in the world: a small, quiet stretch of beach along the south shore of Ryukyu. Even in this dream, the beach was much as it always was: peaceful and calm, with nothing but the sea as my company.

Well, the sea and one other…

"This is your favorite place, huh? I don't quite get it." I looked to my side to see a familiar dark-haired boy sitting in the sand beside me. The spray of the surf had made his normally slick hair curl and he was squinting his dark eyes into the sun. Hinata was toying with a conch shell and giving me a grin. A small part of me knew I was definitely dreaming, but I didn't really care. Seeing that smiling face, that kind smile, and those honest gentle eyes again always made my heart soar.

"You were the one who wanted to know where I was always 'running off' to. Sorry if it isn't impressive enough." I said with a hint of playful irony.

"I guess it's not _too_ bad. I get nervous when it's quiet..." He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of cut-off shorts. As for me, I was sunbathing on the sand in my favorite blue bikini. I didn't mind the sun, in fact I was quite used to it. Hinata looked like he might melt though.

"Hey, Rei?"

I looked at him, surprised by the unexpected nickname. "Huh? What'd you call me?"

Hinata ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "What, 'Rei?' Just a playful nickname. Unless you don't like it?"

I returned his smile, then gazed out at the surf again. "No, Rei is fine, Hina. I like it."

Hinata laughed a little. "Hina, eh? Sure. Let's keep it simple." He flopped down across the sand on his stomach, staring after me towards the waves. "We've known each other for almost a year now. High time to start acting like it, am I right?"

"It's been six months since that storm…" I looked back to Hinata and found an unusually thoughtful look on his normally carefree face. "How much do you remember of it?"

"More than I want to, and not enough at the same time. The storm itself is kind of a blur." Hinata propped himself up in his hands and just kept staring for a while before finally continuing, "You know something? When I first learned I'd been stranded on some backwater island, truth be told I was not a happy puppy. My plan was to work off my debt to your family, then say goodbye to this place for good. Little did I know that some cute villager was going to teach me to like this place."

Hinata was acting a little strange. This kind of reflecting was so unlike him…"Oh yeah? Does that mean you like the beach after all?"

Hinata shrugged. "The beach is boring, truth be told. There's nothing to do."

I chuckled a little at him. "It's not about finding something to do, Hina. It's about finding _nothing_ to do."

Hinata made a slightly sour face, then an exaggerated yawn. "Nothing to do is still nothing to do. But when I'm with you I feel like I understand, at least a little bit. Maybe? I dunno. I'm trying…"

Haha, oh poor Hinata. Maybe just hanging out here wasn't going to work out after all. "Want to go to the water? That'll feel nice."

Hinata's face paled slightly and he flinched. "What?! The sea and me do not agree! You of all people know that!"

That made me laugh. "Sorry. Bad joke. How about a walk then? I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"Nah," Hinata sat up, "Just sitting here's fine after all. Besides, I got something to tell you."

"Hm?" I turned to Hinata again, "What is-?"

"I gotta say it. Bear with me." Hinata looked me dead in the eye and took a deep breath. "Rei. You're… amazing. You have all those medical things going on, but you just take it on the chin and don't even let it faze you. The way you can be so happy when you have all reason to be a gloomy mess is incredible in the best possible way. And here I am complaining about being _bored_. Plus, you're damn hot, a real island beauty. What more could a guy want?" The serious look on Hinata's face was changing quickly to a starry-eyed grin. "How about it? Wanna be a couple?"

"Wha?" I was so stunned that I could only lie there in the sand and stare, gaping like a beached fish. I couldn't believe my ears. There was no way he just said what I thought he did, right? He likes _me?!_

Hinata broke eye-contact suddenly. "Sorry. I came on like a dog in heat huh? Talk about putting your foot in your mouth… I'm stupid." Hinata scowled at the ground.

I shook my head and shot upright. "No, no, no! Don't say that!" He sputtered a few times as he tried to speak, so I continued before I lost my nerve. "You're a God Eater. You've been putting your life on the line so weak people like me can live in peace. And all that with no guarantee you'll even come home… Hina, _you're_ the amazing one. So if you're stupid, then so am I. Truth is, I like you too." Hinata's head shot up and his eyes got wide. "To think you'd want me… I couldn't be happier." I gave him a slightly predatory smirk of my own and I leaned close as I whispered my reply, "My answer is yes."

It was his turn to stare dumbstruck at me. I just kept smiling. Then, he scooped me off the sand and hugged me close. I squeaked in surprise, but I let him hold me. He was holding me too tightly to return the hug, so I just giggled and nuzzled his shoulder instead. I was on cloud nine. I cast a brief look back to Ryukyu before saying, "Just don't tell Ichiro or Kaito yet. My brothers might kill you if they knew."

Hinata's grin evolved to a daring smirk, "Yeah? I'll win them over somehow. Just you watch…"

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

The unwelcome chirp of my alarm snapped me from my dream. I begrudgingly smacked the silence button and rolled to look at the clock. The alarm read 7:00, as usual. I sighed inwardly. Morning had come too quickly today. I laid there in my bed, staring at the ceiling and mulling over my dream just now. I hadn't had a dream about Hinata in a long while. Part of me was happy to relive one of my best memories, and another part missed him. It was… bittersweet.

I sat up and tried to shake off my mood. I had a mission today. Time to put my feelings aside and get to work. I got up and got myself dressed, then headed straight for the cafeteria. After a quick breakfast, I headed to the Den lobby to wait for Kanon, Shun, and Tatsumi. As it turned out, I didn't have to wait for Tatsumi. He was leaning on the counter, apparently flirting with Hibari, judging by the conversation I overheard.

"C'mon Hibari, don't be like that," Tatsumi protested as he leaned a little closer, "All I'm asking is to hang out after the mission today. Just ten minutes is all."

"But I-" Hibari shook her head and seemed about to say something when she spotted me. "Oh, hi Robin! Right on time as usual. You must be here for that mission? Fantastic! Let me pull up the profile…" When Tatsumi turned to me, Hibari suddenly relaxed her stance and mouthed "Thank you," in my direction. I was slightly puzzled by her response to my arrival.

"Early bird, huh? We're not leaving for quite a while yet. Can you wait a sec? Now, where were we?" He'd barely finished his sentence before returning to Hibari. She was making a point of looking something up at the computers, and seemed to be flustered.

"My email said we depart at 2:30 PM. I guess I am early," I said simply as I checked my watch, which said 8:30 AM. "I'm not interrupting anything am I? I'll head to the roof-"

"Nope!" Hibari cut in before Tatsumi could do more than look at me. Her rebuke earned a dramatic pout from Tatsumi as she handed him a packet of papers. "Read up. This is an update from HQ about that mission. You should go over it with the team, Tatsumi!" she said to him pointedly.

"Alright, alright, I can take a hint… but don't think I've given up! I'll win you over one of these days, just you wait!" Tatsumi took the papers from Hibari, shot her a wink and then turned to me. "Well, I guess it's time to see what happened to the mission… hm?"

"What?" I asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Looks like a change in mission parameters. A Prithvi Mata has been spotted in the area, and we gotta kill it too. Looks like this is gonna get messy." Tatsumi looked up from the papers, "So, a question?" I nodded at him to continue. "We have to kill five advanced Aragami. That's a hard one by anyone's standards. Kanon says you're pretty good in a pinch, but are you sure you're up to this?"

I took a seat on a nearby bench and stretched out a little."I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. We _are_ talking about a Deusphage after all. But I'm pretty confident we can do it. Why do you ask?"

Tatsumi took the seat next to me. "I asked for a record on you so I could see your stats, but your numbers don't make sense. You've been a God Eater for only a few months, but you're already taking out things like Susano'o? That's no small feat."

"That was only yesterday. How do you already know about that?" I asked him.

He gave me a rather sly smirk. "I have ways. I'm the Captain of the 2nd Unit after all." He looked up and behind me. "Oh, hey Shun, Kanon. You two're early too. I guess we're all here then?"

"All? Wait a second! Nobody told me I have to go with the newbie-girl!" Shun protested.

"Don't cut yourself with all that edge, Shun," I said with heavy sarcasm. I was in no mood for his attitude today.

"Hey, don't start fighting already! Save that for the Aragami!" Tatsumi scolded.

I said nothing, but turned from Shun before I said something else impulsive. I decided to talk to Kanon instead. "Hi, Kanon. Good to see you."

"Hey Robin!" Kanon smiled and waved at me, "Having a better day?"

"A little early to say, but I think so," I replied, "Any news about that thief?"

"Not really. The Director says there's no unusual activity on the tapes. That means the thief is super sneaky... I don't feel very safe anymore."

"What are you two talking about?" Tatsumi asked, "A thief?"

"Someone broke into our rooms the night before last and stole some things from us," I said, "Did anyone else have things stolen from them?"

Tatsumi and Shun both exchanged looks. "My god, Gina was right!" Tatsumi said with increasing amazement, "Someone _did_ go on a raid!"

"I thought she was just being suggestive again!" Shun seemed equally stunned, "She wasn't exaggerating after all!"

A scream of frustration suddenly erupted from the lift doors, "I'm gonna kill that bastard!" We all jumped at the female roar from the elevator. All heads turned to the doors towards the banshee responsible. The doors opened to reveal an enraged Alisa, fists balled and red-faced from fury. She was obviously pissed about something. I wanted to slink off and hide in a hallway, but I was frozen in intimidation.

She cast a vicious glare about the room and roared, "If I find that damn thief, I'm gonna rip his head off! Nobody raids my room, _nobody!_ " She stomped off down a hallway, headed straight for the staircase to the executive section.

Kanon and I exchanged knowing glances. "The bandit strikes again..." Kanon said quietly. I nodded my reply. That damn panty thief was still at it! What a pervert!

After a few long, tense moments, Tatsumi finally spoke, "Gina was right. We have a panty raider on the loose."

Shun seemed to visibly balk. "Geez, that's sleazy. Who even does that?!"

" _Somebody_ does," Tatsumi got a slight smirk, "I gotta admit, the idea's funny though. I wouldn't have the spine to do it myself."

"There's nothing funny about it! This is serious!" Kanon turned her back to Tatsumi, "Ugh, men! C'mon, Robin. Let's see if Alisa has any news." At that, she grabbed me by a shoulder and dragged my to the staircase before I could even form a response. I was really sympathetic to Alisa, especially considering yesterday, but I really didn't want to be on the business end of that rage. We barely reached the stairs before I heard voices from below.

"You too, Tsubaki!?" Alisa said, "Has everyone been a victim?"

"That seems so. We've had reports from twenty-nine God Eaters so far, thirty-one including us now. Whoever it responsible for this is both audacious and prolific." Tsubaki sounded more than a little angry.

Kanon continued to pull me down the stairs, leaving me no choice but to follow. She was grabbing my arm much more tightly than necessary. I could tell she was getting riled up too. As we came to the landing, both Tsubaki and Alisa looked our way.

"Perfect timing," Tsubaki said, immediately approaching us, "I need to make an official report about a... delicate crime. I need every witness' account so I can compile a case. May I ask some questions of you?"

"Of course!" I said without hesitation.

"Did either of you two experience any break-ins to your rooms recently?"

I nodded once and Kanon said. "Yes, night before last. We both had clothes stolen. Hey, weird question, Alisa. Did that stupid thief steal yours too?" Kanon asked.

"What do you mean 'too', Kanon?" Alisa asked, "And Robin's here. Does that mean...?"

Kanon nodded, "Exactly. We're victims too."

"Then this brings the victim count up to thirty-three..." Tusbaki clicked her tongue in disdain.

Alisa shook her head, "Despicable. Who'd do a thing like this?"

"I wish I knew. I'd frog-march him through town and then throw the book at him!" Tsubaki practically growled with a look to kill.

I finally managed to yank my arm free of Kanon's bear-grip. "I don't have any useful evidence, but I'll help however I can."

Tsubaki nodded sharply and her expression softened a notch."Good to hear. I've already canceled your mission for today, so don't worry about that. I've reassigned some other God Eaters to it. I need brave volunteers for a special 'mission', here on base. I need some extra patrols in the dorm halls. I'm specifically asking those who have been victimized first for obvious reasons. Any takers?"

"I'm in!" Alisa promptly voted, "I wanna be the one to find him. When I do, there'll be hell to pay!"

"Me too!" Kanon pitched in, "Robin?"

I nodded my consent, "Me three." This was more than just personal now. This was outright scary. Whoever was doing this may not stop until he's targeted every female in the Far East. I had to try to stop him if I could.

Now how in the blazes was I going to even begin?


	15. To Catch a Thief?

_To Catch a Thief?_

"So, now what?" Kanon asked, echoing what I was thinking, "Should we pick some turf for each of us to cover? Or maybe go in groups?"

"I've sent summons to some of the other victims. I expect our last three volunteers to show up shortly," said Tsubaki sternly.

"Sorry we're late," I heard Gina's voice from behind me, "I came as soon as I could." I looked over a shoulder to find Sakuya, Annette, and Gina all exiting the elevator. None of them looked happy. Even Sakuya had an uncharacteristically stern look to her. I could guess the crook didn't spare them either.

"Excellent timing. I know you're all angry about the… situation," Tsubaki began.

"Angry doesn't even begin to say enough!" Sakuya growled, "To think this person would be so brazen! I'm so mad, I don't even have the words!"

"You and me both!" Kanon agreed, "He better hope I'm not the one who finds him!"

"Do we have a plan for the patrols, Ms. Amamiya?" I asked, "Or should we just go as one?"

Tsubaki smiled slightly at us. "Eager for some payback are we? Very well, I'll get right to the point. I've summoned all of you for a very special mission. Our target this time is no Aragami, but a reckless, shameless thief. I summoned victims of the crime specifically so we all understand the nature of the goal," Tsubaki continued, "We'll split into pairs to cover more ground."

"Good plan," I said, "Too few and we won't be able to cover enough ground. Too many at once, and we'll no doubt spook the thief into hiding. We should stagger our routes so we don't look too suspicious."

"A sound tactic. Let's do just that." Tsubaki turned to us one by one. "Now for the pairs. Annette, you'll be with Sakuya. You two will patrol the lobby region and the Executive wing." this earned a "Got it!" out of Annette and a nod from Sakuya. "Alisa, you'll be with Gina. You're going to take the Rookies' section and the maintenance bay in ten minutes." Alisa's response was an "Understood," and Gina got one of her vulpine looks again. "And Kanon, you're with Robin. You two will patrol the Veteran's section and the training area in twenty minutes. Report back in one hour. Any objections?"

"Nope!" Kanon shook her head with a small smile, "I can't say I'd ever been on a mission like this before. It's exciting!"

Even so, this had to be the strangest "mission" I've ever had.

"Then godspeed. I'll continue to peruse the surveillance logs and see if I can dig up anything useful. As for you all, Report back to me in two hours. Dismissed."

"Alright team," Alisa slapped a fist into her hand, "Let's do this!" Shouts of agreement rang among us, and I whooped in kind. I couldn't help getting fired up too. I'm not usually the vengeful type, but I couldn't help myself. The mood was contagious. All throughout the conversation, I noticed that Sakuya was uncharacteristically quiet. Sakuya had the look of a tiger on the prowl. That dark look spoke all that she did not, and I found myself glad I wasn't on her team right now.

"This mission is as good as over!" I chimed in, "He's ours!" I found myself using the same language I used when hunting Aragami. Perhaps I was getting a little _too_ into this, but as quickly as the notion came I stopped worrying about it. This was _war._ Anyone stupid enough to get their laughs by terrorizing us was both an idiot and a pig. No mercy.

At that, we partnered up into our designated pairs and split into different directions. Annette and Sakuya went back up the stairs. Gina, Kanon, Alisa, and I all headed for the elevator. Alisa pushed the call button, and we paused to wait for the lift to arrive.

"Who's ready to tackle a pervert?" Kanon cheered enthusiastically

"You better believe I am!" Alisa said with equal gusto, "He's gonna rue the day he crossed us!"

"He better pray I'm not the one who gets him," Gina cracked her knuckles, "He'll be lucky to survive what's coming!"

The elevator stopped at the lobby and Alisa and Gina got off. "Good luck you two," Alisa said.

"Happy hunting~!" Gina sang with a wave as the doors closed.

"This isn't what I had in mind when I said I wouldn't mind going on a mission with you, Robin," Kanon smiled lightheartedly at me as we waited for our floor, "Who knew Tsubaki would take this so seriously?"

"This _is_ serious," I replied, "This isn't just a bandit, this is a disgusting pervert. We can't let something like that slide."

"I don't plan to! Let's bag us that thief and teach him a lesson he won't ever forget!" Kanon said with passion, and I nodded my answer. The doors opened to reveal the hall where the training facilities were. It was time to hunt. I let Kanon go ahead of me, then followed several yards away. I wanted to be far enough away so as to remain casual, but close enough to run to Kanon's aid if I had to. Kanon was looking into the rooms as she passed, making sure to look casual. I did the same, even though I wasn't sure I'd be able to see anything different from what Kanon did. Several minutes passed like this, with each of us peering inside the windows and not seeing anything apart from the usual menagerie of God Eaters training away. I was starting to get bored, truth be told. This was duller than lecture day.

When we came to the firing range, I instantly noticed something wrong. The lights were completely off. Even the safety lights that normally lit the range 24-7 were blank. Both of us exchanged looks at the odd sight.

"There's no way that's normal," I said, "Its black as night in there…"

"I bet our thief is in there. But we might spook him if we just charge in." Kanon turned to me, "How's your night vision, Robin?"

"I'm pretty sharp, I think. Why?"

Kanon nodded, "Good. You go on ahead. I'll follow right behind you in a few minutes."

"Actually," I had an idea just then, "I think I should stay outside."

"What do you mean you'll be outside? This is a serious freak we're talking about! He might be dangerous!" Kanon said with worry in her voice.

I acknowledged her hesitation, "I know. That's why I think it'd be best if we stay separated a bit. If one of us gets ambushed, the other can provide backup. I wouldn't do if we both get caught. Assuming our target is in the range at all, that is."

Kanon seemed to understand, but she also looked very uncomfortable. "I didn't think about that. It's kinda scary when you put it that way…"

Talk about preaching to the choir. I was more than a little nervous right now. I just hoped I wasn't shaking. I decided on a bluff. "Let's think of it like a mission. We've faced far worse than a panty thief before. He's less dangerous than even an Ogretail. What chance does he stand against two angry God Eaters?"

That made Kanon laugh a little, "None!"

"That's the spirit!" I smiled to hide a grimace of worry, "Now let's smoke him out!"

"Yeah!" Kanon seemed to be buying my encouragement. She opened the door, flashed me another nervous smile and then walked into the range. I stood beside the door, looking in through the window and watched as she disappeared into the distance. Luckily, the windows at the range were nice and wide for observing training sessions. Or in this case, watching for a potentially aggressive panty thief. I only wished I had had the presence of mind to bring my night-vision equipment.

Wait, what was I thinking? I should at least be by the door. I'll keep it open so I can move quickly if I need to. I moved to the door and strained to see in the darkness. I could barely make out the silhouette of Kanon making her way further down the range. Then, even that vanished into the darkness. The only sounds I heard was the faint hum of the overhead lights. This place was starting to get a little eerie all of a sudden.

"Kanon?" I asked quietly, "Any luck?" No response. Maybe she just didn't hear me? I took a few steps further into the range, taking care to move quietly. As I did so, I could faintly see the far wall of the range. I didn't see her around anywhere.

"Kanon?" I whispered again, "C'mon, where are you?" I ventured further into the range. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed a shape in the far corner of the room.

"Kanon? Is that you? Say something." I warily approached, unsure what to think. As I came closer to the shape, I quickly realized this wasn't human after all. It was just a big pile of underwear. Wait, underwear?! An involuntary shiver ran down my spine and I froze in my tracks. I moved slowly and deliberately, scanning my surroundings carefully. I'd lost sight of the door somehow. Only the dim light from the windows gave any hint of my bearings.

"I-Is anyone there?" Still no response. Okay, this was definitely creepy. I should just head back to the window as planned.

Little did I know that that wasn't going to happen. An arm lashed out and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Yeek!" I shrieked and whirled to face the ambusher. Before I could even stop myself, I'd reacted. I used my body weight to throw the attacker off balance, then grabbed the person and slammed them to the ground. I then put a knee into their back and grabbed them by both wrists. That was when I noticed the person was wearing an implant...

"Get the hell off of me!"

Now where have I heard that voice before? Wait, I remember now. "Soma?!" I leaned closer to get a better look at who I'd pinned. Sure enough, it was Soma. He was glaring at me in the nastiest way. Then again, I _did_ just bowl him over and pin him. No wonder he was so mad. I better get up and explain.

On second thought, not just yet. What if he was the thief? I had to make sure. "Why were you prowling around here?!"

"I should ask _you!_ " he barked back, "I was trying to find out who cut the power in here. I saw someone lurking around and thought I'd question them. Now get off my back!"

"Alright. Sorry about-"

"Now wait just a second!" Kanon had suddenly reappeared, waving a bra. Where'd she come from just now? "How the hell did my bra get here?!"

Soma's eyes went wide. "What the hell are you yelling about!?"

"This!" Kanon yanked Soma up by the collar and spun him to the pile of stolen clothing. "Explain _this!_ "

Soma's mouth fell open and he simply stared for a few long moments. Then he finally shook his head. "I'm just as surprised as you are! Now stop interrogating me already! Let me up!"

I looked at Kanon. "You don't think he's the one, is he?"

"Now that I think about it…" Kanon shook her head and seemed to calm down a notch as she let go of Soma's collar. "He's not _that_ good at acting. Besides, even Soma wouldn't steal from Tsubaki. Let him go."

I barely even had the chance to shift my weight before Soma tried to stand. He unceremoniously threw me off, leaving me to tumble to the ground. Standing above me, he gave me the nastiest glare I'd ever seen.

"Don't EVER pin me again," Soma snarled, jabbing a finger at me, "Got it? Try that shit again and I'll kill you."

I stood to my feet and apologized, "Sorry. I… overreacted. You grabbed me from behind and I just… kinda…"

"Fine, fine, cut that out." Soma gestured to the pile of clothes as I got to my feet, "But what's all this doing here in the range?"

"I was hoping _you'd_ know…" I answered.

"Then is this someone's idea of a joke?" Soma glanced to us, then to the clothes, then back to us as if gauging our response.

"If it is a joke, this is the worst joke ever!" Kanon said angrily, "Nearly every girl in the Far East has been hit by this thief! He's crazy!"

"And what makes you think it's a guy?" Soma asked.

Kanon seemed angered by the question. "Don't be thick, Soma. Isn't this obviously something a male would do?"

I was distracted from the conversation by a shape at the front window. It looked like someone carrying an armful of something. "Who's there?" I asked loudly. The figure seemed spooked by my voice and bolted.

"Damn! That might've been him! Robin, go take the front door! I'll come up from the side door!" Before Kanon even finished her sentence, she was off into the darkness again.

"I'll explain later, Soma! Gotta go!" I said over a shoulder as I ran to the door.

"Wait! What the hell's up with you girls!?" I didn't reply to Soma's demand. Whoever was there was acting really strange. If that was the thief, I wasn't going to let him get away from me! I rushed outside just in time to see a glimpse of somebody carrying a large stack of undergarments disappear behind the closing elevator doors. I didn't get the chance to see much before the doors shut, as whoever it was, was clever enough to use the stolen goods to block his face.

"Stop! Stop right there!" I called, but my words were to closed doors. I pounded on the door. "Get back here!" I shouted in vain.

"Crap!" I spun and changed course for the stairs. I arrived just in time to run into Kanon. We both had to stop suddenly to avoid crashing headlong into each other.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He… went up!" I gestured at the elevator and upwards breathlessly.

"Let's go! Maybe we can head him off! I'll head for the dorms! You take the lobby! He won't get away this time!"

"Got it!" I nodded and raced to the stairwell with Kanon close behind me. I ran as fast as my legs would take me, but I had my doubts as to if I could catch the thief. If he was making his way to the Executive area, then he'd get away. But there wasn't anywhere to escape to in that area, so I was confident I'd have him pinned.

Or maybe not.

I reached the lobby and shot into the open, panting. Though I looked about desperately, I saw no sign of the thief. I searched some more and found a black bustier by the elevator. If this didn't confirm my suspicions earlier, then what did?

"What in the world is going on?" I turned around to find Tatsumi had come up behind me. The entire Den's in an uproar! Not to mention all the girls are acting crazy…" He eyed me cautiously.

"He's back." I said simply.

"I'm not gonna ask who 'he' is. I think I can guess it's the thief. When you find him, give him hell for me. Its thanks to him Hibari's in a bad mood…" at this, he seemed to notice what I was holding and trailed off as he stared at my hand.

"You didn't see anyone rush by carrying a pile of underwear, did you?" I asked. Tatsumi shook his head, biting back a grin. What was so funny?

Never mind. I had bigger fish to fry. I had to report to Tsubaki, as promised. I pushed the call button and was surprised to find the doors opening right away. Right in the elevator, was the underwear that man was carrying from the range! I missed him!

Now, this was just infuriating. Tatsumi didn't seem to think so, and started grinning wider. Then he snorted and burst into a fit of laughter. I gave him a look. Without saying another word, I went into the elevator as Tatsumi proceeded to laugh his ass off outside.

This was turning out to be quite a day…

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

 _Later…_

I returned to my room, exhausted. I'd made my report, then spent the rest of the afternoon on the rooftop trying to clear my head. It wasn't a relaxing time at all, as I spent the entire time looking over my shoulder every time I heard even a creak. I should've just given up, but I didn't.

I flopped across my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I'd taken the time since the other day to do some decorating. I still hadn't gotten around to any painting, but I'd covered the walls and ceiling with drawings instead. I'd chosen some of my favorites to put up here so I could look at them at times like this. There were a lot of animal drawings, some scenery too. But I left one spot right above my bed deliberately open. There was a particular drawing I wanted to put here. I was saving this spot for a special drawing. I pawed around my sketchbook and located my choice. It was the drawing I did back when we first left the Valley of Jackal napping in the helicopter. I always got a smile on my face when I saw this drawing. It was just a whimsical, spur-of-the-moment picture, but it was one of my best favorites. Maybe I should ask Jackal to be my muse sometime.

I stood up on my bed to mount the drawing, making sure to fix it well. I was remaking my bedsheets when I heard a rumble from outside the door. I could also hear shouting. Sighing inwardly, I approached to an increasing cacophony of shouts. I hesitated to get involved, but I figured I should investigate. I opened my door, and I found utter chaos outside.

Gina was at Jackal's door, holding a purple thong. Some of the other girls had joined in, forming an impromptu mob. I could see Alisa, Annette, Kanon, and to my surprise, also Tsubaki. They all looked furious. I was only confused for a moment before something Gina said made it all clear.

"Everyone's underwear! You're the thief!" she screamed, pointing an accusatory finger in Jackal's face.

"You're the thief?!" They asked as one. Enraged by the indictment, the girls suddenly forced their way by Jackal and into his room, leaving me to stare dumbfounded for a moment. I shook off my bewilderment and came up to Jackal, speechless.

Jackal was quick to protest. "I am not the thief!" But everyone else had fallen victim to mob mentality. They proceeded to tear through Jackal's belongings with a wild fury. I was stunned. And then it dawned on me: they think _he's_ the underwear thief! That couldn't be true... right?

He could be stunningly innocent at times. I was sure something of this nature would never occur to him. Why would he do something so juvenile? Only one way to know. "You're not the thief, right?" I asked, though I felt I already knew the answer.

The hurt look on his face cut deep. I averted my eyes. Seeing his disbelief was painful, but I had to hear the words. "Robin," he put his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye, "I am not the thief." The look he gave me was sincere and held no sign of duplicity. I needed no further convincing. But the other girls might not be willing to accept my trust in him, as they continued to ravage his room like a pack of wild Aragami.

"I'm not the thief, guys." He announced to the crowd.

"I don't think he's the thief." I reaffirmed.

"And why do you think that?" Tsubaki looked up from the dresser drawer she was emptying and shot the stern look she sported my way.

For once, I didn't feel flustered. I stiffened my posture and said, "I could see it in his eyes."

"You're not just sticking up for him because he transferred with you?" Kanon asked me. Now that stings. If I thought he was the thief, I wouldn't let it slide. In fact, the way everyone was handling this was all wrong! There were better ways to go about this! The idea of this mob-style justice just made me angry.

"No!" I retorted more firmly this time, "I could see it in his eyes! You haven't found anything have you? You've almost destroyed his room!"

"Then what about this that I found outside of his room?" Gina held up the underwear like it was evidence at a court-martial. I had no answer. Maybe it was like the bra I found by the elevator earlier today? Maybe the real thief dropped it as he fled?

"It could have been planted there." Jackal suggested. Bingo, way to think Jackal! Framing someone else would distract us while the real thief did his dirty work...

So, who was it?

"Well, it seems you're not the thief after all." Tsubaki said matter-of-factly as she tried to walk away. Before she could go Jackal had rushed in and blocked her from leaving.

"Who's going to fix my room?" Jackal seemed none too happy at what happened to his room

She gave him a brief look, then turned to the girls, "Clean up the room." The girls groaned and grumbled various forms of apology as they straightened up the room. Tsubaki gave Jackal a stern look and stalked away, leaving the others to fix the room.

"Get cleaning girls!" He chimed playfully as all heads lowered to avoid his stare. He looked at me, "Oh, Robin, you don't have to. You didn't make the mess, after all." He grinned at me and made a playful gesture to the door, "You're free to leave."

I almost said something then, but what came out of my mouth was, "I'll let the rest of you do your thing. Be sure to apologize for terrorizing his room." I heard a series of acknowledgments behind me as I left. I knew Jackal had been taking the night shifts lately. I also knew how cranky he could become when he didn't get enough sleep. I decided to let him be.

As for me, I decided to return to my room and draw some more before turning in for the night. Well, I tried to sleep anyway. Sleep never came to me. My body was tired from the day, but my mind was wide awake. I found myself absolutely absorbed in thoughts about Jackal. It was strange though. Lately, whenever I thought of him I felt different. Excited, nervous, almost giddy. What was this? I wasn't sure what it meant. But I knew it felt familiar, almost nostalgic for some reason.

Oh who was I lying to? I knew what this was because I'd felt it before. It was just like when I was first falling for Hinata. I was still in so much pain from losing Hinata, in a way acknowledging that I had feelings for Jackal felt like I was violating something sacred. But being with Jackal felt so natural. When I was with Jackal, I didn't feel like a burden or a fragile flower. I felt like I could conquer the world in his name and still have time to smile.

Haha, this line of thought was making me blush. I'd made up my mind, and I had something I needed to get off my chest. I was going to do it now, and before I lost my nerve again. Steeling my confidence, I quickly went across the hall to Jackal's door. I knocked gently, but I mistakenly knocked far louder than I meant to. I flinched at my own noise. I spoke up quietly, "Jackal?" and I heard some grumbling from behind the door. That was when I had the presence of mind to check my watch. It read 14:20.

 _Yikes, I forgot about the night shift! Why didn't I check the time earlier!?_

The door slammed open, bashing into the opposite wall with a slam. "What!?" a furious Jackal shouted at me. Then, he seemed to realize who was there and sputtered, "Robin?! I… I…"

I forced a smile, "No, it's okay, Jackal. It's fine. It can wait." I stared at the floor by my feet and that was I noticed that I was shaking. How stupid of me. I really shouldn't have woke him up like that…

"Robin-" I heard him begin, but I'd lost my nerve.

"I'll speak with you some other time." I said cowardly as I scampered back to my room. I flopped face-first on my bed and screamed into my pillow in frustration at myself.

 _So much for that bravery. When am I to just stop waffling and spit it out? By now he must think I'm acting crazy… I'm sure that's attractive – not!_

I righted myself and tried to return to my artwork, but it was a hollow effort. I kept mulling over what happened and kicking myself for my mistake. The day droned on without much other incident, but I couldn't shake my mood. I don't know how long I spent angry at myself before I heard an alert chime from my Terminal. I made sure to look at my clock this time. It read 20:45. I wondered what could be the problem at this hour. The message flashing in red across my screen answered my question.

 _Attention all God Eaters! An extremely dangerous Aragami has been spotted outside the Anti-Aragami Wall. Ouroborus-class Aragami detected! All Veteran-class God Eaters are to report to duty immediately! All Rookie-class God Eaters are to remain in their rooms until further notice._

An Ouroborus! This wasn't good. And wasn't Jackal out there too!? I wasn't sure if I was technically Veteran or a Rookie. Was I supposed to join or stay? I considered the question before making up my mind. I only let the idea that I'd never fought an Ouroborus before give me a brief pause before I shook it off too. I wasn't about to just sit here and let Jackal fight such a thing alone. I had to go help him, and fast!


	16. The Lord of the Plains

_Lord of the Plains_

I wasted no time in getting myself ready, checking my stock of supplies one more time. This would be my first time facing an Ouroboros. I knew little about my foe. What I knew of the Ouroboros only came from a brief look through NORN. I knew it would be hard to miss due to it being one of the largest known Aragami. I knew it was prone to using Divine, and sometimes Spark attacks. I also knew this was not an enemy to take lightly: few God Eaters had faced one of these creatures and lived. That part, I didn't need NORN to teach me.

I had to contact Jackal. Back when we were stationed at the Valley, I had to improvise ways to stay in touch sometimes. By rerouting a protocol used to initiate video chats, I could open a line of communication without the need for a radio. All I needed was access to the main comm lines, and right here was perfect. I opened a video chat at my Terminal and started my work, hoping the same thing would be viable on this network…

A few moments later, a crackle of static and scrambled images told me that my little trick worked. Lucky thing the Far East's systems seem to be set up the same way as the Valley's. Tweaking a few more settings allowed me to clarify the distortion. Now I could see all too clearly what was going on.

My perspective was a modest twenty feet up. Maybe I'd tapped into a surveillance camera. But what the camera revealed was both shocking and bewildering. A twisting mass of dark black and purple tentacles thrashed all over my view. I couldn't see anything other than squirming, wiggling vines. One tendril snapped out, smashing directly into the camera and disabling its visual output. I could still hear the unnerving cracks of a laser and the snap of its limbs. I also heard a voice. It was Jackal, clear as a bell. My relief was slight as I worriedly changed camera links. I wouldn't be satisfied until I could see Jackal, not just hear his voice.

My next link was a much higher perch, perhaps fifty to sixty feet up in the air. Occasional vines still lashed in front of my view, and I could see the true size of this monster. It really _was_ huge! I could see a good portion of the Anti-Aragami Wall from here, and I instantly realized the situation was way worse than the initial report stated. The beast had already caused massive damage with its lasers and tentacles; a large portion of the wall had suffered heavily. The Aragami was currently focused on Jackal, who was trying to slash the thing broadside before being driven off by another laser. There was no sign of other God Eaters anywhere. Was he fighting that thing all alone? I shook off my astonishment and closed the link. Jackal needed me, and there was no time to waste.

First, I needed my God Arc. I ran as fast as I could to the God Arc storage bay, thankful that I'd had the presence of mind to upgrade my God Arc when I defeated the Susano'o variant the other day; its parts were similar enough to a normal Susano'o to make a pretty good Divine element Spear. When I arrived, I wasted no time and went straight to the spot where my Arc was stored. I was about to release the restraint harness when a grubby hand reached over my shoulder.

"Where are you going!? You know there's a lockdown, right?"

I looked over my back in a start, then relaxed when I realized it was just Licca. I unlatched my God Arc and answered her. "It's an Ouroboros, I saw the alert. Sorry, but I'm in a huge hurry. I have to go to the Anti-Aragami Wall."

"Wait a sec!" I ignored the mechanic's protests and ran towards the Lobby. I felt bad for blowing her off. She was just trying to warn me about the attack. I should apologize later. For now, I had a mission to focus on.

As I rushed to the Lobby, it occurred to me that maybe going out alone was a bad idea. But who could I ask to come with me? Licca was trying to stop me. The others were likely to try too…

I arrived to see an unfamiliar man behind the operator's counter. He had a somewhat husky build, dark brown hair, and dark eyes that darted constantly from one screen to another. He was wearing an orange t-shirt under a brown vest, and black pants and boots. A wave of nervousness came over me. Who is this, a new operator?

"I just noticed something about the first group. This group is incapable of helping you out in a melee situation," he said as he tapped away at an interface, "They're all gunners: Gina, Kota, and Kanon. To make matters worse, there is only one functioning helicopter. Ground support has already been alerted. It should take them five minutes to get ready, but another twenty five before they reach you."

The stranger's words confirmed my suspicions: this could be who's in charge of the night missions. I had to see about getting on the roster. I steeled up my nerve and approached the counter. "I need to get in on that mission."

The stranger jumped a bit and spun to me, wide-eyed. "Wah! Don't ambush me!" He gave me a quick look-over and seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

I shifted awkwardly. Was I making him uncomfortable somehow? "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm volunteering for the defense mission."

"Um… okay, but we have a situation," He turned to another display and started typing away at it. "We're still down one chopper. That means we gotta wait for the current one to return before we can deploy the next team." The operator looked up from his work. "Um… who are you again? I don't think we've met."

He seemed even more nervous than I was for some reason. Why? Was it something I said? "I'm Reiko Kimura. My codename's Robin. And you?"

"Naoki Yato. Sorry, but we should chat later. If you want to join the next deployment, go get ready. I have to get back to the comm."

"Okay, so about twenty minutes then?" A nod from Naoki answered me. "Right. I'll wait here."

I sat at a bench and tried to wait, but my mind was buzzing with worry. I had to contact Jackal somehow, but he was out in the field, and I had no way of contacting him. I could ask Naoki to let me talk to him, but he seemed extremely busy. I just had to wait it out.

"What do you mean there's no more room on the roster?! There's just three of us!" My head snapped up at the sudden shout. I looked up to find an annoyed Alisa leaning over the counter at Naoki. He had the look of a scared deer on his face. Soma and Lindow were standing back some ways, exchanging looks.

"It's full," Naoki said meekly, "It's you, Soma, Lindow, and Robin: that makes four…"

All three veterans turned to me. Alisa's annoyed look fell when she saw me. Lindow gave me a little smirk. If Soma had any opinion, he wasn't showing it. I simply returned their stares, not quite sure what to make of their reactions. Were they angry at me?

"Well, well!" Lindow came over and slapped me on the shoulder, "I'd say I'm surprised, but that'd be a lie! You must like the big ones, huh?"

Was that rhetorical? I couldn't tell, so I answered honestly. "That thing's threatening the base. I can't just sit and do nothing about it. I asked Naoki to sign me up as soon as I learned the news."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Jackal's out there, right?" Alisa's comment caught me off guard. Was I being that obvious?

"I'm worried about him, I'll admit. I have to go help him."

My reply earned a snort out of Soma. "Is that your idea of a joke? This isn't a game. You don't know what you're up against."

"I beat a Deusphage a few days ago!" I protested, "I can do this if I work with all of you!"

"In case you weren't aware, this isn't a damn Deusphage!" Soma waved a hand at me, "I don't have the patience for another botched mission. Go back to your room, Rookie!"

 _That does it._ Something snapped at the dismissal. I stood up angrily and let Soma know what I was thinking about that idea. "Did you even hear me?! I _said_ I'm coming! I can't let Jackal take on an Ouroboros all alone! I won't! Try and stop me!"

That… came out much angrier than I meant to say. Soma backed up a step from me and gave me a stunned look before returning to another glare. Alisa and Lindow continued to stare my way with surprised expressions.

"Remind me to stay on your good side…" Alisa seemed intimidated by my outburst.

"Rook's got claws when she wants to show 'em." Lindow said in amazement, making a claw gesture in my direction.

Was that a joke just now? Lindow sure had a strange sense of humor. Soma, meanwhile, shot a look at Alisa. "Tell her. You're the Captain."

Alisa paused several moments before speaking to me again, "You should rethink this." I could feel my anger rising again and I started to protest again.

Alisa held up a hand to stop me, "Let me finish. Ouroboros are not easy to fight. Even veterans get hurt or worse fighting these. I know you're worried about Jackal, but this is a very dangerous mission. You can come with us if you want, but I want you to think before you answer me again. Don't act out of impulse."

Was she that concerned for me? I took only a moment to think before I had my reply. "My answer hasn't changed. I want to go. Take me with you."

Alisa nodded with a smile. "I thought you might say that. Make sure to follow orders, alright?"

"I understand."

"You can't be serious." Soma glanced between me and Alisa before grunting and turning his back to us. "Whatever. It's your funeral. Go get your ass killed, see if I care." At that, Soma sulked off to the elevator.

"You're really something, kid," Lindow commented to me, "Brave, naïve, maybe even crazy. But I like the guts. C'mon, the chopper should be ready soon."

I nodded and followed Alisa and Lindow to the elevator. We arrived just in time to see the chopper descend. I boarded quickly, loading my God Arc into a holding slot at the rear of the vehicle. I took a seat next to Alisa and across from Soma and Lindow. The ride was uneasy and quiet. I spent most of the ride staring out the window quietly. I had a thousand thoughts going through my mind, and I wasn't feeling particularly social right now.

"Getting scared already? It's not too late to go home," Soma said with a tone that I took to be somewhat mocking. _Bite me._ I was in no mood to defend myself, instead opting to stare out the window again wordlessly.

"Soma!" Alisa scolded, "That was uncalled for!"

"It's not my fault if she's too weak to face reality. She needs to grow a spine and quit being such a coward." Soma's remarks were seriously ticking me off, so I continued to ignore him pointedly.

Alisa must've seen the scowl I made. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't mean it like that." Alisa put a hand on my shoulder. I cast a glance to my team. All three of them were looking right at me, especially Alisa. I returned a nod amid another stare from Soma. Lindow's opinion was harder to read, but I thought I saw a sympathetic look on his face.

Alisa nodded and smiled knowingly at me, giving my shoulder a squeeze as she leaned over to me and whispered, "You can do it, I know you can. Just believe in yourself. We'll bring that Ouroboros down together."

I smiled happily at the reassurance, but the comfort was short-lived. My attention was on the mountain of an Aragami in the distance. Though distant, I could still see that the creature was massive: it had to be at least fifty, maybe sixty feet tall! It looked like a towering mass of vines and limbs, more tentacle than beast. Apart from a few purple structures on its back and a long set of horns on what seemed to be its face, the thing was very indistinct and yet unmistakable. I could see a few distant shots pinging off its body, clearly someone was already engaging it. At least that meant it wasn't advancing. It was a good thing too, because I saw it turn its many-eyed head our way.

My eyes widened and I held my breath involuntarily. This was a case of déjà vu. I couldn't help thinking back to when we crashed in the City of Mercy. It was thanks to Jackal's bravery that I survived that day. Now it was my turn to help him. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. No. I was more than nervous; I was afraid. I found my hand moving into my jacket pocket again. Before I was even aware of what I was doing, I had drawn out and was clasping Hinata's armlet. A comforting mantra came to my mind…

 _The only difference between bravery and madness is fear, and madmen don't possess fear._

More shots caused the Aragami to turn away from us. As if to further reassure me, I could recognize some of the fighters. I saw Jackal fighting alone against the massive Aragami. He was still alive! I stood up to get a better view. My relief was replaced with fear when I saw energy gather at the creature's body. Just as I was sure it was going to shoot at us, the chopper dove low. The laser's aim went wild, leaving me shaking with shock and relief. I knew this was as close as we could safely come. I then saw Jackal try to run up the Ouroboros' back for some reason.

"Jackal? What are you doing?" I asked aloud, realizing in the same moment that my radio was still on.

"I'm fine, at the moment." Jackal's words reassured. A smile pulled at my lips and I sighed happily.

 _Just a little longer, hold on!_

I wasted no time in fetching my Spear from the back of the chopper. Before the heli had even finished touching down, I had jumped the final few yards down to the ground amid the surprised grunts of my team. I heard them follow suit a few moments later.

"Everyone there?" I heard Naoki's voice, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have a major problem…"

"What is it?" Lindow asked, "Can it wait?"

"No. We have a Vajra closing in on your position. If we let it be, it will likely join the Ouroboros."

I snorted my displeasure. Soma was much more vocal. "Are you kidding me?! We don't have time for this shit!"

Naoki was reduced to a squeak for a moment by Soma's outburst. "I'm sorry, but I don't make the orders. You can make it quick, right?"

"Can do. Let's make short work of that thing and get to the real hunt." Lindow hoisted his Arc over a shoulder, "Where is it?"

"My readout says it's right on you! On guard!"

Right as Naoki finished saying this, I saw a blur of sparks and fur leap my way. I raised my God Arc to block it, but I was unable to brace in time. The Vajra still slammed into me like a runaway truck. I slid on my back several yards painfully, but my God Arc took the worst of the blow. The Vajra's right paw was caught across my weapon and the claws were hooked around the shaft. If I had reacted a second later, it would've sliced me through easily. I used my legs for leverage as I forced the beast's claws aside and regained my feet.

My allies had been just as surprised as I was, and were frozen in place the entire time. They recovered quickly and fanned out into a battle arrangement. Alisa and Lindow both changed to Gun Form and launched a barrage of mortars at the Vajra's face. Soma split off and flanked the Vajra, delivering a nasty series of charged attacks. I decided to draw its attention and feinted at its front. When the cat tried to lash out at Soma, I took the chance to unleash some powerful blows of my own. One particularly well-timed Charge Glide sent the cat on its rump.

I took a glance back at Lindow and Alisa and noticed their brief but intense barrage had ceased. Our assault had caused massive damage to the Vajra already, and I could see its tail had become unbound. It flipped away from me and roared, activating. I decided to fall back and take the ranged position, letting the veterans take point. The Vajra had other ideas. It loosed an EMP field at us in retaliation for the bombardment. I tried to evade the electricity, but couldn't quite dodge in time and took a glancing blow. It was not a serious hit, and I was able to shake off the pain quickly. The Vajra turned its attention to the melee fighters as I changed to Gun Form. Taking advantage of the opening, I shot a series of my most powerful Divine rounds at its unbound rear. The Vajra roared and collapsed, leaving itself wide open for a group assault. I joined the melee fighters, and we surrounded the fallen cat on all sides. In no time, the Vajra was dead and decaying. Alisa finished the Aragami's core off, then looked at all of us.

"That was easy. No serious injuries, I hope?" she asked. I nodded and glanced back at Lindow and Soma.

Lindow gave us a satisfied nod. "Peachy. You okay, Soma?"

"Save it. We have an Ouroboros to slay, so let's get the hell moving." Even as he spoke, Soma was already on the run, "Keep up!"

 _He's fine enough to keep up the sour attitude. But he's right, we need to keep moving._

I rushed to keep up as we closed in on the Ouroboros' position. After another few minutes of running, we found our mark. Jackal was still hanging in there somehow, but I could tell he was fatigued. His movements were slowing and he was moving very deliberately. I could see that Jackal had acquired some backup sometime between when we were circling and our arrival. The Ouroboros had fallen over, and Kota and Gina were both firing at the creature's body with a hail of shots. Kanon and Jackal had taken up positions on the Aragami's other side, launching attacks of their own. In fact, I could see they were all tired.

"Jackal!" I called to him. It occurred to me that calling out to him in the middle of an attack might be a bad idea too late. As he turned to me, I saw his expression soften.

"Thank God you're here." I nodded my agreement, too relieved for words.

"Looks like you've been doing pretty well, Rookie." Lindow greeted.

I noticed just then that Jackal wasn't as well off as I hoped. I could see he'd suffered a number of wounds during the fight. I could see him moving gingerly, and his shirt had been torn a bit. It might be serious, but it was hard to tell right now. He must have seen the look of concern growing on my face, because he lifted his shirt to expose a bandaged wound.

"Don't worry, it isn't deep but Kanon bandaged it up for me," he said with his trademark encouraging smile. His words claimed otherwise, but I could see the wound was more serious than he was playing at. I wanted to tell him to fall back and let me finish this, but I knew he wouldn't just stand back and let us fight on without him.

"Let's leave the chit chat until later, right now we have an Ouroboros to fry." I nodded in agreement at Lindow's words. Surely even a creature as legendary as this would fall to all eight of us. I readied my Spear and joined the fray. I unleashed a series of stabs between gunfire and slashes from my allies. I took a slap from an errant tentacle, but continued my assault. If I could just overwhelm it, it'd be all over.

I was right in estimating the Ouroboros' fading stamina. Between all of our attacks, the weakened Ouroboros fell again, this time in an unmoving heap. I stood at the Aragami's side, unwilling to let my guard down until the final blow. Even a beast like this was still an Aragami; it was not really dead until the core was devoured. Now, who should finish it off?

Lindow seemed to practically read my mind. "Well, seeing as how Jackal dealt the most damage, I think he has the right to devour its core."

I walked a few paces away, allowing Jackal to do the honors. Truth be told, I was a little jealous. Maybe next time, I'd have the chance to devour an Ouroboros core. Oh well. This was hardly the time for envy. What mattered was that we did it. One of the deadliest Aragami known to man was now dead, and it was all thanks to our teamwork.

Jackal finished removing the Ouroboros' core and spoke into his radio, "Naoki, the monster has been defeated. It put up a good fight, but-"

"Are you sure it's dead?" Naoki cut him off. Something about his tone put me on instant alert. Why would Naoki ask such a question?

"Yeah, I devoured its core. I'm sure it's dead." Jackal answered as he approached me. It looked like Jackal wanted to say something, but I was distracted by what the Ouroboros was doing. I saw the fallen beast gather its tentacles up, struggling to rise. Its tentacles were writhing like a nest of angry serpents, poised to strike at the nearest target: Jackal. My eyes widened and I was stunned speechless. How was this thing still alive?!

"It's still on the radar-" Naoki began as the Aragami reared. My mind instantly flashed back to Ryukyu and that fateful day. The memory of Hinata standing in front of me, his shield bared as the blast of a missile roared past me became as real as the day it happened. Then, as suddenly as it came, the flashback had ended. The fear had not left, leaving me frozen in fear. I felt a chill run down my veins and I started to shake. This couldn't be happening, not again! Everyone else had already moved away from the Ouroboros, leaving me the only one in range to react. I realized that I had to act immediately if I had any chance of saving Jackal.

So I made the choice to protect him the only way I knew might work.

"Jackal!" I shrieked as I ran towards him at full-speed.

The adrenaline rush of my panic made the next few seconds seem to take hours. Jackal spun and was taken aback by the Aragami's revival. I rushed in front of him and deployed my shield. I realized right away that I'd made a critical mistake. The Ouroboros was coming at me with all its might, and I only had a standard Shield on my Arc. This meant that I had no way to protect my entire body from what was coming my way! I had no time to readjust my position, and the Ouroboros was utterly merciless. Its tentacles screeched off my shield, sparing my torso from immediate impalement. At the same instant, its countless vines found my exposed head and sprang for me at an agonizing pace. I tried to raise my weapon to block it, but it was already too late. The stray tentacles slammed into my face and pummeled me with ungodly force. One particularly powerful tentacle struck me in the right temple, sending sparks of light throughout my vision. I felt a wave of incredible pain, followed by the warmth of my own blood down my face. The combined strike of its limbs against my body was enough to knock me from my feet and through the air several yards. I saw Jackal's face as I flew past him. He was staring at me in absolute shock and horror. Had I been hit that hard? I couldn't tell yet. My confusion was met with even more pain when I struck the ground. My vision wavered and blurred as I struggled to regain my bearings.

"Robin?!" I felt Jackal gingerly gather my battered body in his arms as he shouted to me, "Speak to me?!" I tried to raise my head to look at Jackal, but the throbbing exploded in my head whenever I tried to move. I tried to speak instead, but only a weak squeak of agony came out. I knew right then that I'd been severely wounded. I could barely move, let alone continue to fight. I could hear the rushed footsteps of the rest of the team returning to battle as the Ouroboros roared triumphantly above us.

"Take her back to the Far East!" Alisa commanded. Jackal wasted no time in getting to his feet, cradling me carefully as he rushed me away from the battle. My thoughts were getting hazy as my vision, and I was starting to lose consciousness. I must have been even worse off than I thought, and I knew I was in bad shape.

"Stay awake for me, Robin. Evac is on the way. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep!"

I struggled to cling to consciousness, but I was losing my grip on reality. I forced my vision back into focus and moved my eyes to look up at Jackal. I'd now managed to figure out that Jackal had somehow managed to escape the Aragami's ambush completely unscathed. I'd succeeded in protecting him somehow, and for that I was happy. My relief at seeing him safe was mixed with a growing fear. I was starting to have trouble catching my breath and I was feeling somewhat cold. My brief resurgence had faded. I felt an overwhelming exhaustion overcome me as I blacked out in my friend's arms. My last clear thought was that if I had to die now, at least I knew that Jackal would make it home today.

O-O-O-O-O-O

Someone was holding my hand in theirs. I heard voices, but they were indistinct, distant, and ambiguous. It was dark, but I didn't feel cold. I didn't feel warm either. Come to think of it, I was almost completely numb, except for that sensation of someone holding my hand. I wondered to myself what was going on. Was I dead? But if I was dead, how could I still be conscious? As the shadows lifted from my mind, I became aware of more and more things. First was the pain. My head felt like it was being crushed by a giant, and was throbbing intensely. My eyes flicked open to hazy, blinding whiteness. I scrunched my eyes back shut against the unwelcome light.

"Robin?" I felt the hand around my own tighten, "Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

 _Who is this? I know this voice from somewhere…_

I obliged, giving a small squeeze. A second hand grabbed onto mine, clasping my hand between theirs. "I think she's coming around!" the same voice said, seeming excited, "Can you open your eyes? Look at me…"

I opened my eyes a second time. Now, I could tell someone was sitting beside me. I blinked to refocus my vision. As my eyes cleared, I recognized who this was. It was Jackal. He looked so relieved that he almost looked like he was on the brink of tears. But he also looked very worried.

"Jackal?" My voice was quiet, but my own voice rattled my skull like a hammer. I closed my eyes again against the pain.

"Robin! I'm so glad you woke up." Jackal smiled down at me. I was glad to see him too, but I was also incredibly tired. I tried to speak, but Jackal stood up. "I shouldn't be in here, but I couldn't not check on you. You look exhausted, so I'll let you sleep. Rest and get better, okay?" I had so much I needed to say, but he'd already left. I was too weak to pursue him. There was nothing for it but to rest, as suggested. I was far too tired to protest anyway. I let my eyes close once more and fell into a much needed sleep.


	17. Resonance

_Resonance_

The first thing I could clearly sense was a terrible pain in my head. I opened my eyes to the jarringly bright lights of the infirmary. I saw that I was once again hooked up to an IV line and a heart monitor: a sight all too familiar to me by now. I sat up, but instantly regretted it. My right temple felt like it was going to burst, and I was forced to lay back down. The pain faded back to a tolerable level, but I knew better than to try that again. I had no clue how long I'd slept. I wasn't even sure how long I've been in the infirmary. I remembered getting a warning about an Aragami attack. But when was that? Was it all over? Is that how I wound up like this? I had so many questions, but nobody to ask them to. I had no idea how I got here. Come to think of it, there was a lot I didn't remember since… when? I tried to think about what happened, tried to remember, but I couldn't. I sensed something wasn't right, but my mind felt dull and foggy like a dream.

I heard the click of a door opening, and turned only enough to see who was coming. I didn't want to aggravate that headache again. I saw two people: one woman in a medical coat, and a young man with an implant. I didn't recognize any of them, but something about the dark-haired, green-eyed God Eater felt very familiar.

"It looks like she's awake," the white-coated woman said, "Remember what I told you. We still don't know the full extent of her injuries. Don't be shocked if she acts out of character."

"I know, but I have to try. She's always been there for me through my amnesia. The least I can do is repay the favor."

Wait, what? Amnesia? What was he talking about? I noticed him turn and wave cordially to me with a friendly smile. I could only stare in confusion. I wished I could at least recall a name. It looked like I'd get the chance to find out more, because the God Eater walked over to me as he pulled a chair to my bedside. "Hey, Robin. How are you feeling?"

I felt a brief note of surprise at hearing him say my name. "Not great," I answered honestly, "My head really hurts…"

He seemed concerned, but relieved at once. "I bet it does. I'm just glad you seem a bit better today. Last time I saw you, you could barely talk." I stared at him, not sure what to say to that. Why did I feel like I knew him? I guessed I knew him somehow, because of how familiar he acted around me. I was sure I knew him from somewhere. But why didn't I remember his name?

I decided to play along for now. I'm sure his name will come to me eventually. He might know how I got here though, so I asked, "What happened to me? I don't remember anything past an attack warning… after then it's just blank."

He gave me a worried look. "Wait, you don't remember anything about the night attack?"

"No."

"How about the Ouroboros? Do you remember that?"

"No…"

He seemed more and more concerned with each of my answers. "Then… I guess you don't remember saving my life either, do you?"

"No…" I was starting to get embarrassed at myself for continuing to have the same answer for everything. Should I remember this? I was still feeling groggy, but I couldn't shake the feeling I was forgetting something very important. "I… I'm not even sure I know who you are."

He was quick to hide his expression, but I still saw a brief look of shock on his face. "She said this might happen…" I heard him say quietly.

"Who said what might happen?" I asked, "I don't understand…"

He gave me a hopeful look, but I also saw a hint of sadness too. "C'mon Robin, it's me, Jackal. You know me, right?"

Jackal! Now I know why he felt so familiar! Of course I knew him! "Jackal!" I said happily, "Of course I know you! I'm glad to see you well."

If he was upset by my lapse of memory, he was doing a good job of hiding it. In fact, he seemed relieved. "Don't scare me like that! I was worried you had some kind of amnesia or something."

Now I felt bad. Forgetting his name really seemed to hurt him… "Sorry. I just didn't recognize you for some reason."

"The doctor was just telling me it's a miracle you're even alive. Being a little forgetful is just an inconvenience compared to dying. Don't worry about it." Typical Jackal, cracking jokes even at a time like this. But the first part of what he said still bothered me. I almost died? He said something earlier about fighting an Ouroboros and saving his life. Trying to think further on the subject left me with a sense of panic, but nothing more. What happened to me out there? Was that related to my injuries?

"A miracle?" I asked, "Was I hurt that badly?"

He just stared at me for a moment. "You really don't remember that mission do you?" I fell silent, unsure how to answer him. When I said nothing, he said, "Don't look so upset, Robin. I said its fine, right? But about that mission… it didn't end well. I'll still tell you if you want." I nodded once, and cringed when the simple gesture made my head hurt again.

Jackal flinched at the face I made. After a moment, he continued, "It happened about a week and a half ago. There was an attack on the Anti-Aragami Wall. It ambushed me while I was on night patrol. The Veterans got called out to subdue it. Alisa told me you forced your way onto the roster and joined them." He shot me a grin. "Pretty gutsy, Robin. We haven't even beaten a sim Ouroboros before you know."

"I know…" As he recalled the events to me, I was starting to piece together the events. I was still missing details, like a book with every other page torn out. I only recalled bits and pieces here and there, but it was enough for me to piece together something. I really _did_ fight an Ouroboros. But what else? Was that how I got hurt?

Jackal practically read my mind. "You, Alisa, Lindow, and Soma came as backup. I already had some help, but Gina, Karel, and Kota aren't melee fighters. We took it out together."

I smiled happily at him, "So, we beat it?"

Jackal's smile fell. "That's the bizarre part. I took its core out, just like any other Aragami. But then the crazy thing got right back up."

"What?" I blinked several times, trying to make sure I heard what I thought I did. Aragami cores are what keeps Oracle Cells from dispersing. Removing the core causes the Aragami to fall apart. That's why "killing" one causes the corpse to dissolve. So, how in the world did that thing get back up?

Jackal nodded. "I know, right? Crazy. It's true though. It tried to kill me from behind. Probably would've done me in if you hadn't jumped in. You tried to protect me, but it got around your shield. You took a few stray blows, but it really hit you hard in the head. It was bad enough that Alisa ordered me to evac you immediately. That attack was harsh enough, but you were losing a lot of blood from your head wound…"

Jackal lowered his head, seeming pained. "It was terrible. Robin, you almost died in transit."

When he looked back up at me, I saw an awful look on his face, like it hurt to even recall it. I wanted to tell him he didn't have to say any more, but he continued again. "They nearly ran out of donor blood on route. I turned out to be a match, so I told them to use mine. And I did it again for several days more. I've been told you probably wouldn't have made it if we just waited for new supplies."

"Jackal… you saved me?" Now my head was spinning. He did something like that for _me?_ I could barely believe it. The thought that Jackal's blood donation saved my life both impressed me and surprised me. Now Jackal was smiling at me, and I felt a little blush come over me. I was hoping he didn't notice that.

"I'm really glad you pulled through. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't wake up."

"I…" I was so stunned that I could barely form a sentence. "Th… thank you," I finally managed. "And I'm sorry. You wouldn't have had to do that if I was more careful…"

"You know, that Ouroboros hit me from behind, right? If you didn't protect me, I wouldn't have stood a chance." He got another grin, "I never did get the chance to thank you for that. Thank you, Robin. You really saved my bacon."

"I'm glad you're safe," I broke eye contact in shame, "but I made you worry like that…I'm sorry. I owe you."

"Hey, stop that already." Jackal took my hand comfortingly, making me look up. "Don't look so sad, Robin. I'm just glad you're alive." He broke out into yet another grin, "So, if I owe you for saving me from the Ouroboros, and you owe me for donating blood for you, let's call it a wash. No worries, ok?"

Oh, Jackal. He never changes does he? I found myself grinning again at his little jest. He put his hand on my shoulder, still giving me that cheerful smile. Right when he touched me, I felt an unfamiliar surge go through me. It was not painful, but I gasped all the same. Before my eyes, a startlingly familiar sight played before my eyes. Scenes played out before me, highlighting my time on Ryukyu. I saw my ordinary life, that time I rescued Hinata from the boat, and even the attack on the island. Throughout this experience, I sensed another presence: an encouraging, reassuring feeling that calmed my panic. Somehow, I knew that it was Jackal. How was he here though? And what is this? No sooner did the questions occur to me than the vision ended. I awoke, catching my breath and trying to piece together just what happened.

"What… what was that?" I asked in total bewilderment.

"I don't know…" Jackal seemed a little breathless too for some reason. He also seemed confused like me. "It was like I was living your memories or something?"

He saw all that?! Well that's embarrassing. But how did that happen anyway? I was feeling really fatigued all of a sudden, and lacked the energy to think about the details. Maybe I still hadn't regained much stamina…

"Robin?" Jackal shook my shoulder gently, "Robin, what's wrong? Are you okay!?" I looked at Jackal and gave him a reassuring smile. I was too exhausted to respond with anything more than that. He wasn't convinced, and called my name again. I wanted to tell him I was fine, but I was fading fast. I vaguely remembered hearing him shouting for help as I fell into unconsciousness again.

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

When I opened my eyes again, the doctor from earlier and Jackal were at my side. I was feeling a little groggy, but my head was clearing by the moment.

"She's back with us," the doctor said as she checked over some of the machines beside me, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," I sucked in a painful breath as I realized my head still hurt, though not as much as last time. I tried to sit up, but the doctor gently pushed me back to the bed. "Don't get up. I still need to run some tests on you."

"Why?" I asked, "What's going on?"

Jackal reached for my hand, but withdrew all of a sudden, as if he were afraid to touch me. I briefly wondered why he'd act like that when he said, "We resonated the other day. You passed out after that. They said you were just exhausted, but…" He shook his head as if to chase off an unpleasant thought.

I wrinkled my brow at Jackal's words. Then I remembered something from my training. Certain God Eaters sometimes experienced a phenomenon where they share experiences and memories with each other. It's called resonance, and only second generation God Eaters had it. Apparently, we had a resonance earlier. That means he saw my memories of Ryukyu. I wanted to tell him anyway, but having him see those thoughts firsthand like that was way more intimate than I intended. Awkward…

Wait a second. He said "the other day." Was I unconscious that long? All these gaps in my memory were really beginning to annoy me. I noticed both of them giving me expectant looks, so I spoke up. "I'm okay," I reassured, "I just feel tired."

"That's why I need to run some tests," said the doctor, "I need to be sure it really was just exhaustion and not an effect of your head injury."

"Seriously?" I groaned, "I'm getting really tired of being in this cot."

The doctor pawed through her notes a few times before responding. "If it's any comfort, you're healing at a phenomenal rate, Robin. Your normal recovery rate would have seen you out of action for months. At this rate, you'll be able to return to duty in a few more days. Barring any further complications, that is."

"I'm healing faster? But how?" I asked.

"Well…" she looked between Jackal and I for a moment, "When Jackal donated blood to you, Oracle Cells from his blood mixed with yours. Normally, this isn't even of note, because of the Bias Factor's effect on Oracle Cells. But ever since your resonance, something very interesting happened. We suspect his Oracle Cells activated and assisted you somehow. The fact that you've almost fully recovered from a near-fatal head injury within three weeks is unheard of, even for God Eaters. We don't know if other effects have occurred, so I need to run some tests before I can say this if is completely a good thing or not."

I just laid there, trying to process what she just said. Something about the resonance healed me? How? That doesn't normally happen during a resonance. Then again, nothing about this whole situation was normal. I was starting to get really tired of all the mystery and unknowns. I wanted facts.

"So, what's going on? Are you saying that when we resonated, I healed her?" Jackal seemed just as bewildered as I was.

"Again, we're still testing things." She grabbed some vials from a tray nearby and hooked them one by one to my IV line. "I'll need to run some tests to be sure of anything."

Jackal and I exchanged confused looks for a while. He looked like he had the same thoughts as I did. She just quietly took several blood samples from me and left without saying another word. Neither of us spoke, we just kept looking between each other.

Jackal finally broke the silence. "Well, that's unsettling. But the good part is you might be out of here in a few days!" He burst out into a big grin, "I bet you can't wait to get out of here."

I sighed and rolled my head dramatically on my pillow. "Tell me about it. I feel like a prisoner in here…" I pushed myself to a sitting position, finding relief when the attempt didn't hurt. "I think I prefer fighting Aragami to this." I turned to him and smiled. "Thanks for keeping me company. It always makes my day to see you."

"And with luck, we can fight together soon!" He said enthusiastically. His smile fell a few notches and he looked me in the eyes. "Hey, Robin? About those memories of yours… how come you never told me about your past or anything?"

This was my chance to finally say it. I didn't even need to worry about explaining, thanks to that resonance. I guess that's one good thing about the resonance, but it was still kind of embarrassing to be exposed like that in front of Jackal. After a brief hesitation, I said, "I have good memories of Ryukyu of course. But when I think of back then, I always wind up thinking about how I lost my family and my boyfriend. All that was only less than a year ago. I didn't want to bring it up because it hurts…"

Jackal put on another cheerful smile, "Hey, don't make that face. At least you have memories. I wish I could remember something about my past, even if it was painful." He got up from his chair and stretched. "Well, it's almost time for my mission. Nothing special today, just a pair of magmatic Gboro Gboros. I'll have it in the bag in no time."

"Be careful out there," I said, "You don't want to get stuck in here like me, trust me on this."

He laughed a little at that, and I smiled in kind. It felt nice to see him smile more genuinely. "I'll take your expert word on it. I'll see you later. Take care, Robin"

"You too," I replied. He reached for my shoulder, aiming for a playful shoulder pat, but recoiled again. I realized then why he kept doing that. He didn't want to accidently trigger a resonance again. I quietly watched him leave, with mixed feelings swirling in my head. I decided to try to stay positive. Because I'm healing quickly, I'd be out of here soon. All I had to do was wait a little more… and hope no more bad news comes my way. I'd had enough of that nonsense to last a lifetime.


	18. Probation

_Probation_

After Jackal left for his mission, I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. Well, trying to sleep anyway. I sat back up in my bed and looked at the clock. It was already 2025, well into the evening. I had a thousand thoughts on my mind, and that made rest difficult. I kept thinking about that resonance I had with Jackal. He saw all those memories of Ryukyu. Sure, I did mean to tell him about my past, but having that part of me exposed so suddenly felt more than a little embarrassing. I should explain more when I get a chance.

But first, I had to get out of this infirmary. I was feeling like a jailed convict in here. I could hardly wait to be discharged.

I heard the door open and looked up to find one of the doctors coming in. "Hello again, Miss Kimura. It's time for your final checkup."

I sighed inwardly. This particular doctor kept calling me by my surname instead of my codename, or even my first name. It felt overly formal, and my repeated requests to be called Reiko if not Robin went completely ignored. But my slight annoyance was quickly overcome by delight. He said this was my final checkup? Finally! It's about time I got out.

"You mean I can go after this?" I asked eagerly.

He nodded and sat on a chair nearby. "Miss Kimura, I need to discuss something with you first."

I didn't like that tone he was using. When doctors say they "have something to discuss", its rarely good news. I nodded once and pulled my legs up closer to myself. "Alright, what is it?"

He pawed through a few pages on his clipboard before returning to me. "First off, let me praise you. To be blunt with you, there were some of us who did not expect you to even wake up let alone return to duty. Congratulations on your remarkable recovery."

I smiled at his words. I didn't get quite why I healed so fast either, but I was glad for it. "Thank you."

His expression remained stoic. "Miss Kimura, there are some conditions of your release that I must review with you. You may not like it, but it is not negotiable."

There went my smile. I should've known there was a catch. I could sense a guarded tone to his voice that put me on edge. "What do you mean 'conditions'?" I asked, "I'm not on restricted duty or something am I?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Kimura. You are forbidden from going on solo missions for the next seven days. You must be accompanied by at least one fellow God Eater on all missions."

That didn't seem so bad. That was to be expected after all. I mentally scolded myself for getting worked up over nothing. "Is that all? I have no objections to that."

"There is one other thing. You and your partner must file reports on every mission taken during this time. Fenrir will evaluate your performance to ensure you are fully fit for duty. Your restrictions will be reversed if you pass. In the event that you should not pass, you will be withdrawn from the front-lines with full honors. Do not think that failure will besmirch your record." The doctor looked up from his clipboard and met my eyes. "That said, it is imperative that you find a partner to assess your performance fairly and honestly. Do you understand, Miss Kimura?"

I could only nod my consent. I had no words to say. I was being put to the test. What's more, I might be removed from duty if I failed this evaluation! The idea of being demoted made me want to scream. All I wanted was to be a God Eater. It was all I knew. And now, my entire career was about to be cut short by a stupid case of bureaucracy. Why was this happening to me? It seemed like no matter what I did, fate always had more misfortune in store. Then again, I did just recover from a near-death injury. Of course Fenrir would question my ability to serve as a God Eater.

"I understand…" I said simply, though I was fuming.

The doctor nodded, making several more notes. "Very good. I need you to sign these papers, then you will be free to return to your quarters." He handed me a packet of papers, which stated formally what he told me. A part of me was hoping there was a mistake, that I was not actually on this restriction, but the documents' words confirmed what I least wanted. It was true: I was being put on a surveillance probation.

I reluctantly signed the paperwork, feeling like I'd just sealed my fate.

"Very good. You are free to leave when you are ready, Miss Kimura. Have a good day." The doctor gathered his notes and left.

Have a good day, he said. What a joke. This was hardly a good day. As soon as the doctor left, I changed back into my uniform. It felt good to be out of that hospital gown, but my happiness came with a shadow of sadness. I felt like a wrongly condemned criminal.

No, I had to stop thinking like that. I had my chance _now,_ didn't I? If I had to prove myself capable, then so be it. I'd show them all what I can still do. But if I said I wasn't still scared, I'd be lying. I had to get back in shape as soon as possible. As soon as I'd changed, I decided to head straight for my dorm and check the Terminal for any open missions. Surely someone would allow me to join them. I headed straight for my room with new hope.

When I got to my dorm, I instantly sensed something was wrong. The door was ajar, and I saw a light from the cracks of the doorjamb. Someone was in my room. My eyes narrowed and I glared. Who would do this? I was in no mood for it. I decided to sneak up on the perpetrator and surprise them. I slowly pushed the door open, moving carefully so as not to make a sound. I crept into my room, walking as silently as I could manage.

I saw a figure hunched over near the nightstand of my bed. I suddenly remembered the underwear thief from earlier, and my anger rose. Could this be him?! If it was, now was the perfect chance for some revenge. I am not normally a vengeful type, but this was a perfect chance, and I was in a foul mood. He would rue the day he snuck into _my_ room! Steaming in annoyance, I crept up on the brazen bandit and grabbed him around the shoulders, pinning his arms against his body.

"Now I have you, thief!" I shouted and spun the culprit to face me. To my utter surprise, I found Jackal blinking at me in a daze. He was the last person I expected to find in my room!

"Jackal?!" I asked with wide eyes.

"Robin!" Jackal looked equally astonished, "W-when did you get back?"

"I just got released," I answered.

"That's wonderful!" Jackal looked down at me, "Uh, Robin? Can you let me go now? I can explain..." 

I realized just then that I still had Jackal by the arms. I let go of him and took a step back. "Sorry. I didn't expect you to be here..."

Jackal shook his head,"No, it's my fault. I was going to surprise you by bring you your sketchbook. You surprised me before I could do that." Jackal held out my sketchbook to me, giving me a mischievous grin. "So, here. Surprise!"

I smiled and took my sketchbook from him. "Thank you, Jackal. You're so thoughtful."

"Heh, it's nothing. You're the one who went through hell. I'll go and let you rest." Jackal seemed like he was about to leave.

My smile fell a notch as I recalled what I was told earlier. There was no point in putting it off. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Jackal turned back to me, then noticed the look I had. "Is something wrong?"

I nodded and took a seat on the couch. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I decided to just spit it out. "I'm... I'm on probation. They might discharge me from active duty."

"What?!" Jackal was so shocked by this that he simply froze and stared at me for a while before taking a seat across from me. I instantly felt a bit embarrassed. I didn't blame him for being shocked. If our positions were reversed, I know I'd be alarmed too.

"Probation? Why!? You didn't do anything wrong!" he protested, "This has to be some kind of mistake!"

I shook my head. If only. "I wish it was a mistake. Apparently, I'm being assessed because there's concern that I may not be fit to return to the field. I'm forbidden from taking solo missions, and I must be accompanied by one or more God Eaters during that time. If I prove I'm fully recovered within a week, I can go back to normal duties."

"So, you can't do solo missions. That could be way worse. They could've put you on Ogretail exterminations or something. At least they're giving you a fair chance to prove yourself." Jackal gave me a playful smile, and I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood.

"I need to find someone to file joint reports on my missions too." A smile crossed my face as I realized that I could ask Jackal if he wanted to do it. I doubted he'd object to a few missions together. I paged through my paperwork, looking for any verbiage that would prevent me from this. When I found none, I looked up at him with a little smile.

"I don't see anything that prevents me from asking a Rookie to do this." I took out the relevant paperwork and held it out to him, "Would you be willing to help me with the reports?"

Jackal took the paperwork with no hesitation. "Don't even give it a second thought. A little paperwork is the least I can do."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Hey, I said it's nothing. I know you can do it. We just have to make it formal so Fenrir gets the message." Jackal finished signing the papers. "Alright, then it's settled. Wanna go browse the missions tomorrow and see what looks good?"

I nodded, "Certainly. How does meeting up at 0900 sound?"

"Deal!" Jackal agreed, "Any preferences?"

"Anything but an Ouroboros." I replied with a hint of humor.

That made Jackal laugh and playfully nudge my shoulder. "That makes two of us! There's bound to be something interesting tomorrow. You're gonna show everyone you've still got it, and you'll get through this probation stuff no sweat!"

I was so happy that I was near tears. "Thank you so much, Jackal!" I beamed, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!"

"That's the spirit! But it'll be hard to do anything tomorrow, if we're half-asleep. I better let you go for tonight."

I nodded my agreement. I was feeling pretty tired actually. "Yeah, I should try to sleep. Good night, Jackal."

"Good night, Robin." He waved my way as he left my room. My fitful sleep earlier left me feeling pretty worn out. I decided to try and rest. I prepared for bed, but my mind was still buzzing with worry. I forced myself to focus on the positive. Jackal was going to help me do this. I'd prove my worth and be back to normal duty in no time. All I had to do was to wait for my chance, starting tomorrow.

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

I awoke with my energy and strength renewed. A good night's rest left me feeling more invigorated. It was still hard for me to comprehend feeling so normal after nearly dying against that Ouroboros. Even the headache was completely gone. All that remained of that fight was a scar that I discovered on my right temple. All things considered, I should have been dead, or at least comatose. But I was willing to accept the mystery of my recovery. The fact was that I'd been given an opportunity, and I wasn't about to waste it.

I got myself dressed and ate a quick breakfast before heading to the Lobby. It was early. I'd told Jackal to meet me here at 0900, but it was only 0815. I had at least 45 minutes to kill. I took a seat at one of the benches and started drawing. After a while, I'd become so absorbed in my art that I didn't notice someone walking up to me until I heard a voice.

"Hello, Robin! How are you feeling?"

I looked up to find Alisa in front of me. I closed my sketchbook and smiled. "Good morning, Captain. I'm doing alright, thank you for asking."

"I'm glad to hear that. I was really worried about you. We all were." Alisa looked about, as if checking for anyone nearby. "Say, Robin? Do you have a second?"

"Of course, Captain." I acknowledged her.

"Please, just call me Alisa. Being called Captain doesn't feel right yet." She sat down on the bench next to me. I could see a rather sad look on her face, and I wondered why she was making that face. She turned to me and unexpectedly said, "Robin, I'm so sorry about everything. It's my fault you got hurt."

"Not true-" I began.

Alisa just shook her head at me and cut me off. "No, it is. I should have stopped you when you first tried to join the roster. Then, I let you face that thing head-on. I made a critical misjudgment, no, two misjudgments. That foolishness than nearly cost me a teammate's life. I'm sorry."

Alisa sure was taking this personally. I still didn't remember a lot about that day, but I thought I could guess at what she meant. I decided to reroute the discussion with a bit of humor. "Didn't you tell me apologies are for strangers?" I grinned at her, "Or are we not friends?"

That made Alisa laugh. "Haha, you got me Robin. You're right, of course. I just feel bad that I let you down so badly."

What a trustworthy person she was. It's now wonder how someone like her got the position of Captain. I was glad I had such a responsible boss."I'm alright now, so it's fine. Really. Besides, I can't let one failure dictate my future. I have big plans today."

"Oh? If it's another Ouroboros, I forbid it." Alisa half-joked.

I shook my head, "No, not that. I've had enough tentacle-monsters to last a lifetime. I want to start with something easy, like a Fallen Borg Calmann or something."

"That's hardly what I'd call an easy Aragami, especially for a Rookie. You only just got out of the infirmary, so don't bite off more than you can chew," Alisa said.

I felt a brief twinge of annoyance. "But I can't take solo missions. I have to be ready for anything."

"Why can't you take solo missions? Did something happen?" Alisa's question made me sigh sadly. I should've known she'd ask about that. But she _is_ the Captain. She'd find out sooner or later. I recapped to her the terms of my probation, and the consequences should I fail. When I was done, Alisa was giving me a stunned expression. Who could blame her? This was not an easy ultimatum to handle.

What she said next took me by surprise. "If you're on probation, then you'll need some company, right? Count me in."

I was kind of at a loss for words. "Thanks, Alisa. I don't know what to say..."

"As long as its not 'sorry', don't sweat it." Now it was my turn to laugh. Alisa chuckled too, then continued, "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? I don't want to see you in the sick bay again anytime soon."

"Me neither. I'll be careful, I promise." I said with no hesitation. The sound of the opening elevator doors caught my attention, and I looked that way. Briefly checking the clock showed the time as 0830. It probably wasn't Jackal, but I couldn't help being curious.

"Hey, Robin. Early as usual, I see?" Jackal greeted me as he exited the elevator.

Wonders never cease. Jackal was early for a change. Did I wake up in bizarro-world or something? I nodded a greeting, "Hi Jackal. Alisa and I were just having a chat."

Jackal nodded once. "Cool. So, what's the target today?" He playfully cracked his knuckles, "Chi-You? Vajra? Gboro Gboro? All three at once?"

"Haha, I see Robin's not the only one raring to go today." Alisa thought for a moment, then said, "Wait right here. I have an idea for you two, but I need to make a quick call." At this, Alisa left to one of the Terminals.

"What's gotten into the Captain all of a sudden?" I shrugged at Jackal's question. It seemed like Alisa was definitely up to something.

She came back over to us a moment later, looking satisfied. "And that's settled. Soma has agreed to come with us. Now we have a full roster." Alisa looked at me expectantly, "So, I've been looking at the targets for today. I found one that'll be a good test for both of you."

"And what's that?" Jackal asked.

"It's a Deusphage, a Prithvi Mata to be exact. We'll be facing it in the City of Mercy. Wanna do it?"

I nodded, and Jackal said exactly what I was thinking. "You bet I do! Let's go!"

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

I found myself quite lost in thought for most of the trip. I tried to start drawing again, but my mind was too busy, and I couldn't focus on art right now. I hadn't fought a Prithvi Mata before, but I knew a little bit about them. They were an advanced form of Vajra, known for their ice attacks and agility. Some said they were the female evolution of a Vajra, due to their resemblance to a feminine sphinx. But they were Deusphages all the same. Ultimately, the goal was the same as any Aragami, kill or be killed. No different than any other mission. Yet, it was _very_ different. In all honesty, I was not feeling confident today.

"Are you nervous?" Alisa asked me. When I nodded, she nudged me. "It'll be fine, just you watch. Do what you always do. Remember when you killed that Susano'o? It was a Deusphage too. You'll do fine. You'll prove to everyone that you're capable of rejoining us, all you have to do is believe in yourself."

"And try not to go kamikaze this time," Soma suddenly cut in, "That was a giant pain in the ass. Don't inconvenience me again, got it?"

I ignored the remark. For someone who apparently didn't care much for others' feelings, he had the strangest ways of showing compassion. But I could care less right now. I had to focus, or it'd be a repeat of the Ouroboros incident. I found myself pulling Hinata's armlet out of my pocket yet again, fingering it in the way I usually did when I was nervous about a mission.

Alisa noticed this. "Thinking about him again, huh Robin?"

I looked back from the window and saw Jackal looking at me quizzically from his seat next to me. I realized then that I still hadn't told him that much about Hinata. I nodded to Alisa, then turned to Jackal. "I guess I haven't told you yet, have I? About Hinata?"

"Sort of. You told me a little bit, like how your boyfriend gave his life to try and save you. Is that...?"

My voice froze up briefly, and I had to swallow hard. I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. It's all I have left of him. Sometimes, I just hold this, especially when I'm scared. It makes me feel like he's watching over me."

I noticed the chopper descending just then. It was already time to go. I pocketed the armlet and prepared to leave. "I don't want to talk about it right before a fight. I'll tell you the full story when we get back from this mission."

I gathered my God Arc and supplies from the back of the chopper without another word. If anyone said anything else, I wasn't paying attention. My thoughts were elsewhere. I shook my head as the chopper descended the last few yards to the ground. Now was hardly the time to get all melancholy. There was a Prithvi Mata to slay, and I had to stay focused.

"Okay, it looks like the signal is coming from the chapel area. Please don't come back in the med-evac this time. I don't want to hear about another injury. Stay on guard, and don't let up until the Aragami is dead, okay?"

"I'll be careful. Let's go." I couldn't help feeling like Hibari's caution was aimed at me. Looks like even she was having doubts about me. Well, now was my chance to prove everyone's fears wrong. Time to hunt. Without another word, I headed for the chapel, with my team not far behind me.

As we came up to the ruins, Soma suddenly stopped in his tracks and pressed to the outer wall, motioning for silence. We all followed, and I wondered what the problem was. I heard Ogretail cries and squelching sounds from beyond the wall, but nothing else of note. I saw Jackal slowly inching his way to the edge of the wall and peer around the corner. His flinch told me that there was something there. I quietly followed suit.

What I saw made my eyes widen. The Deusphage we were supposed to hunt was there in the former sanctuary, pinning a screaming Ogretail under a paw. The beast was tearing bits off of the Aragami and eating it, all while the Aragami was still alive. I flinched and had to stave off a sudden dry heave. This was far from the first time I'd seen an Aragami eat another, but doing it so cruelly seemed unnecessary and just plain torturous. I debated for a moment whether or not to switch to gun form and get the drop on it, when the creature noticed us. It snapped the Ogretail's body in two with one final bite, then charged and roared at us as it kicked the Aragami's remains aside.

I was only caught off-guard a second, and recovered in nearly an instant. I back-flipped aside, and the Prithvi Mata crashed headlong into the wall, then whirled to me. It screamed and flung a series of ice spears at me, which I was forced to block. I heard several shots go off, and took the chance to flank the beast.

And that's when a blur of gold and red flashed before my eyes. I tried to raise my shield, but the flames still grazed me. I peeked over my shield to find a sight I never expected. An all-too-familiar gold bird had tackled the Prithvi Mata, latching onto the Deusphage's back with its talons. It countered the bird's assault by emitting a field of ice spears, which glanced harmlessly off of the bird's feathers. The bird seemed to smirk at the attempt, and tore into the Prithvi Mata's belly as the Deusphage tried biting and clawing in vain. The golden raptor simply dug deeper with its beak until it was up to its shoulders in its victim's insides. With one more jerk, it tore the Prithvi Mata's core from its body and swallowed it whole. It seemed rather pleased with itself, like a child who just got some sweets.

"What the hell?" Soma blurted, "Where did that thing come from?!"

"This is bad. Everyone, be ready to fight this thing!" Alisa changed her weapon to gun form and took aim.

"Negative, Alisa, very bad idea! That's a Garuda! It's immune to attacks! Retreat now! Get out of there!" Hibari warned.

She didn't need to tell me twice! I spun on my heel, aiming for the hallway. Any chance we had of escaping was cut short by the bird glaring our way, its head and upper body still covered in the blood of its kill. It keened and flung ice crystals our way. I managed to block most of, but not quite all of them. Cries from my team told me they were suffering similarly. When I was able to lower my guard, a terrible realization hit me. The bird had managed to bar the exit corridor with icicles. They were so tightly packed that passage would be impossible.

"It cut us off!" Jackal spun back to face Garuda, "We can't get out!"

We had no choice but to defend ourselves, but could we hope to win against an invincible Aragami? I changed my weapon to gun form, arming my strongest bomb. Just because the odds were against me, didn't mean I was about to give in. I was ready to fight to the last.


	19. Fire and Ice

_Fire and Ice_

I glared defiantly at the massive bird before me. Sizing the huge Aragami up a second time revealed that this bird was much larger than the one I saw last time by the power plant. The Garuda was at least twice the size of its predecessor, and was probably more powerful. Our close-quarters would limit its movement, and I doubted it would try its grab on us in here. That did not mean that I could let my guard down for even a moment.

"We've got no other choice but to fight!" The Captain changed to a battle stance as the rest of us assumed similar positions.

"Do we actually stand any chance against it?!" I saw Jackal get a very concerned look on his face. I could not blame Jackal for being worried. The last few times he faced a Garuda, he got hurt very badly.

Wait, he _killed_ one last time! This bird is not invincible, nor is it immortal! We _can_ win, we just have to stay focused and not let this thing get the better of us. "Of course we can!" I encouraged, turning to my team.

"What's the plan?" Jackal asked Alisa. Alisa said nothing and seemed to be thinking of how to reply. I turned my attention back to the Aragami, who was just staring at us. Was it waiting for us to move first? Several more tense moments passed. The Garuda started getting agitated, and stamped the ground with its talons in an impatient display. It still did not approach though.

This was strange. Why was it not charging? Most Aragami never pass the chance to strike first, so why was this one holding back? I was having a weird feeling about this...

"Hurry it up with the plan!" Soma yelled, seeming just as impatient.

"Give her time to think-" I tried to pacify Soma.

Soma was clearly having none of it. "We don't have time! Any second now, that beast is going to charge!"

"The Aragami is impatient," Jackal observed, "can't we use that against it?"

Soma was getting angrier. "And how would we do that? Tell it to wait for a few minutes so we can think of a plan to destroy it? I'm sure that will go down well!"

He wasn't about to just charge it, was he? My concerns were confirmed when Soma drew back his blade and rushed Garuda. The beast tossed its head and hissed in defiance, readying itself in an instant.

"Wait, Soma!" I shifted my weight to run after him.

Before I could charge after him, Alisa held an arm out to block me. "You two will provide us with cover. Soma and I will attack with our blades."

Now why was she holding me back? "But we can do more-" I protested, but Alisa shook her head at me.

"You've only just been allowed back onto missions. I don't think you're ready to handle this." I bit my lip and held back another complaint. She was the Captain, and orders were orders. I needed to tow the line if I ever wanted to get off of probation. I nodded once in affirmation, but I was reluctant to just hold off.

Alisa must have seen the miffed look on my face. "Don't worry though, Jackal will keep you company," she reassured me before joining the melee with Soma. The bird's large size belied a surprising agility. It adeptly dodged the first few attacks from Soma by taking flight. Then, it landed a short ways away, giving a cocky glare over a shoulder as if taunting. Garuda was acting like a cat playing with a rat.

I had to do something to help, but what might work? I may as well just experiment and see if this one is like its smaller cousin. I thought back to the last time I fought a Garuda. It had the bad habit of changing elements as it attacked. I could see its markings were blue. That, and the fact that it shot ice at us earlier, meant that it was probably on Freeze mode. Maybe it would be weak to Blaze.  
I switched to Gun Form and armed a basic Blaze round to conserve OP. This bird was about to find out that even rats still bite. I noticed Jackal switch forms as well and join me with a volley of Freeze bullets.

"I can't believe this," I fumed as I readied my weapon, "Returning back to action just to provide backup."

"Cheer up, Robin. You'll get your chance sooner or later. In fact, if this mission goes well, you may even be off probation before you know it." He smiled cheerfully at me. "I doubt many of the other God Eaters can say they've killed a Garuda."

He's right. I had to remember why I was being treated like this. First off, I was on probation. Second, I was still a Rookie. Of course I'd be relegated to backup duty. Still, I wasn't too thrilled about it. I finished preparing my weapon and turned my attention back to the Garuda. With Alisa joining Soma in the assault, the bird seemed less able to simply dodge. I could swear it didn't seem particularly harried by it. Time to stop brooding and fight. There'd be time to think later.

I decided to take a few pot shots at the bird to see how it reacted. As we commenced the attack, I noticed some significant differences between this Garuda and the smaller one from the Wailing Plains. I noticed that there was a brief time between a bullet's impact and the Garuda taking on the element. This left a brief window of opportunity where our shots seemed to work somewhat. It also didn't seem to need to take the shot in the wings to change element. Interesting. Maybe I could use this time between shifting to deal some damage. That would take a lot of time to pull off. We needed to pile on the damage, or this thing might activate.

We had to make some kind of plan. This was not working at all!

"We're not getting very far like this!" I called out, "Your melee attacks don't even look like they're doing damage!" Alisa fell back a little bit at my words, but maintained a vanguard position. I could now see that the Alisa and Soma's attacks were just scraping off of the Garuda's feathers. The bird looked almost bored with the effort.

 _Nothing works._

I froze, at a loss for what to do. This was the same as a few weeks ago. Back then, I nearly lost Jackal to the same situation. Was I destined to repeat that day? No. I had to force my mind away from that line of thought. Our backs were against a wall. We had to figure out something, somehow, and fast.

"Is that even possible, though?! Veteran God Eaters that can't damage an Aragami?!" Jackal sounded just as lost as I was.

"Sh-shut up!" Alisa yelled back, "This is our first time against a Garuda!"

I got why she was upset. She and the other Veterans have killed Aragami far larger than this before. But the fact that they couldn't do damage was a vital setback. The last time I fought a Garuda ended in Jackal being seriously wounded. Still, Jackal killed a Garuda earlier. Did he know how he did that? No, he lost his memory of that mission after being seriously hurt. Asking for tactics about that was pointless.

As I racked my brain to form a new plan, I saw the Garuda suddenly leap up and take wing again. It flew high into the air, but could not get far overhead because of the roof. I saw a feral glint in its eyes as it fixed its gaze on me. My own eyes widened as I realized that it was about to dive.

"Robin! Melee Form!" Jackal warned as he switched form. I managed to switch just as the bird shot towards us with talons bared. I blocked most of the blow, but I still got shoved aside somewhat by the Aragaim's charge. It barreled past us and scrabbled its claws as it landed on the opposite side from us. I took the chance to switch forms and renew my onslaught as the Veterans moved to strike. Soma still seemed to have plenty of energy, but I could see Alisa starting to tire.

"Maybe we should switch places?" I offered, knowing that she'd likely decline.

"No, you keep providing support." Called it. I just knew she'd say that. Well, what else could I do? I continued shooting at the bird, changing elements several times to prevent Garuda from trying to predict a pattern. Could an Aragami even do that? I wasn't entirely sure, but now was not the time to risk it.

"Is it possible that the Garuda is immune to melee?" I muttered, more to myself than anyone as I mulled the situation over.

"It seems possible. I never knew an Aragami could be immune to a specific form of attacks." Jackal's reply surprised me. I must've spoken louder than I'd intended.

"I remember that I researched into different types of Aragami back in the Valley," I continued, "One of them was intangible making it impervious to melee attacks."

"In terms I can understand, please." Jackal responded with a note of confusion.

"It couldn't be affected by blade attacks. Only bullets work. I wonder if the same principle applies here." Right as I finished my sentence, I saw the Garuda gathering flames at its wing-talons. I managed to switch forms again and block the incoming attack. To my surprise, it sprayed a shower of flaming spears at us. This must be the Blaze form of its icicle spray. Though I blocked most of it, I still got burned by stray flames. I heard Jackal cry out from behind me. I cast a glance back and saw that Jackal wasn't as fortunate. He apparently had no time to block and had tried to hide behind his gun, unsuccessfully. He had fallen to the ground, and I could see that his legs were bleeding. I couldn't hold back a gasp of horror.

"Jackal! Are you alright?!" I asked as I fell back further to guard him.

"Yeah, my wounds aren't deep." Jackal stood back up and sighted the Garuda for another round.

He didn't seem to be that hurt after all. Jackal seemed to be holding up fine, but I had to ask anyway. "Are you sure?" His nod of confidence told me that he'd be alright. As he tried to fire at the bird again, his God Arc beeped at him.

"It sounds like you're out of OP again." I commented as I noted my own draining reserves. I used a Blast Cannon, so I had more OP than he did with his Assault Rifle. Still, I knew I couldn't keep it up forever. I'd have to make sure not to run completely dry before-

"Uh oh."

 _What now?_

"What 'uh oh'?" Those words weren't something I wanted to hear in battle at all!

"I'm out of OP capsules" Jackal looked up from digging in his pockets with a worried look. I sighed softly, relieved. If that's all it was, I could just give him one real fast.

"I'll give you one of mine, hold on." I quickly hunted for one of my own, falling back against the wall for extra coverage as I searched.

"What's the hold up?!" Soma yelled as he ducked a wing-slap from Garuda.

"I'm out of OP Capsules!" Jackal shouted back as he changed to Melee Form. Meanwhile, I was realizing something myself...

"I can't find any!" I was more than a little irked at myself. How could I be out already?! This was bad, very bad. As I searched further, it dawned on me that I was indeed out. Just great. Now what could we do? Well, I still had four tanks left of OP. I could hold out for a little longer. Not that that would help Jackal's situation any. He'd have to take point with Alisa and Soma.

"Jackal! Swap with me!" I admit, I didn't expect _that_ order from Alisa, especially after how adamant she was that we take rear guard.

"Got it!" Jackal eagerly ran toward the Aragami as Alisa took a ranged post with me. I continued firing shots to distract the Garuda while Jackal got into position. Jackal's first action was a wicked Extend Bite to the Garuda's wing. To my utter amazement, a large wound appeared and made the bird cry out.

"It's not immune to melee!" He called to me.

Apparently not, but how? I know what I saw; Alisa and Soma were doing all of nothing to it. Maybe it was because Jackal was using a Blaze-type Scythe? Well, no sense questioning it now. We had a way to deal melee damage, even if it made no sense. I saw the Garuda's markings shine red again. I guessed the attribute-changing wasn't limited to bullets. That was going to be a pain. But now I knew how to get at its weak spot. After a solid five minutes of attack, the Garuda was starting to show signs of injury. However, I noticed that Soma's blows were still doing a lot of nothing. He wasn't happy about this, and seemed irked that Jackal was dealing far more damage despite only recently taking a melee role.

I looked down at my Arc when it chirped at me. One tank of OP remaining. _Great._ I had to make my last shots count. If I could just get it into the hallway... I took a second to survey my surroundings. To my dismay, I saw that the icicles had not yet melted. The ice was too tightly packed to just squeeze by, and seemed too dense to break. Its gleaming points warned just what would happen if we got too close.

Wait a moment. This might actually work in our favor. If I could lure it into another dive or a charge... heh, perfect. A vulpine little smile crept onto my face as I realized that I could do something clever here.

"I have an idea!" I called, hoping the others would listen to me.

"Out with it then!" Even Soma was losing his patience, not that I could blame him. I was getting sick of just chipping at this thing too.

"Everyone, group together over here!" I waved an arm, trying to signal the others to join me by the corridor blocked by ice.

"What are you planning?" Alisa asked, but ran to my side all the same.

"Just hold on a sec," I replied, "I need everyone's cooperation if this is to work..."

Jackal said something that I couldn't quite hear. Then, he threw a Stun Grenade in the Garuda's face. The bird shrieked in surprise, wiping its face with its wing-talons. Soma made an annoyed snarl, then retreated as Jackal joined us.

"You gonna tell us, or what?" Soma said curtly, "Don't waste time!"

Now that everyone was here, I quickly explained my idea. "We make it charge at us, move away when it's about to hit us, and make it impale itself on its own icicles."

Maybe I was being overconfident. It was kind of a last-ditch plan, but what did we stand to lose? Even if that didn't work, it might break the icicles and free us from this room: a win-win in my opinion. I could see my teammates exchange uncertain looks, clearly they had some reservations.

Soma was the first to voice his doubts, "Aren't we relying on the Aragami being too impatient that way though?"

"You saw how it was acting before the battle started. It will definitely get too impatient and charge at us." I smiled a bit more to hear Alisa accept my plan.

"We'll try it. It may be our only help in this battle." Jackal agreed. We turned back to the bird, who screeched at us and scuffed at the ground like a mad bull. We held our positions, not budging one inch. Garuda feigned disinterest and turned its side to us, chirping mockingly in what I took to be a baiting manner.

"Is that thing taunting us?" Alisa squared up her stance.

"We can't break formation!" I warned, "That's what it wants us to do! Let's just bide our time..."

We stood, just staring each other down for a long while. When it saw that its ploy failed, Garuda returned to glaring and pawing at the ground. As minutes passed, the bird grew more and more agitated, as did an increasingly impatient Soma. I shot him a meaningful look, silently hoping he'd stay put a bit longer. The Aragami was waiting to see who would break formation first. Then it would attack them, possibly even using its grab. Even if it couldn't carry us high, it'd still mean that we'd be down one, and have to free them too. It'd be better to just wait it out. I was just hoping Soma could see that too. Finally, the bird lost its patience with us. Perhaps seeing that its bluff had been called, it keened and bull-rushed us, wings spread and beak wide for a brazen charge. I braced my legs, then dove aside at the last possible moment. I waited a moment too late, and I was clipped on the leg by the leading edge of its wing. Luckily for me, all that did was make me stumble.

A terrible screech made me look up. Turns out that the bird was not so fortunate. The icicles had impaled it on multiple parts of its body, causing a multitude of grisly wounds. Had this been a normal animal, this would have been easily fatal. To Gaurda, even this was just a flesh wound. As it peeled its body from the ice, I could see that my plan had dealt even more damage than I thought. Aside from the pierces, some of which had run it entirely through, I could see its markings were no longer shining. Did we unbind the marks? I hadn't expected that, but I was happy for it. I also noticed a shine near a wound on its chest. I was only puzzled a moment before it occurred to me what it was.

Its core was exposed! It was now or never. We had to finish this thing before it regained its bearings!

My delight was cut short when the pissed bird whirled to us. I saw its wing-talons glowing blue. It must've switched elements when it hit the ice. I was ready for this though. I used the last of my OP in one final Blaze bomb, which made it scream again. It tried to charge, but stumbled in its daze and fell right over. Jackal, Soma, and Alisa were all upon it at once as I changed to melee. They piled on the attack, not relenting for a moment. When my Arc was ready, I joined as well. To my surprise, I discovered that my God Arc was wounding the Garuda! I reigned in my surprise and continued the assault. When Garuda finally stopped flailing, I wasted no time in devouring it. Jackal followed up with a devour of his own. I shot him a puzzled look. I got the core, so what was that for?

He answered my look of confusion. "We should all devour it, just to make sure it's dead. I don't want another Ouroboros accident."

He's not wrong, it'd be foolish to repeat that mistake. Alisa and Soma seemed to agree, and both devoured the Garuda as well. As if to finalize our victory, I saw the Garuda's body begin to dissolve into black mist. I sighed in relief. It was finally over. Talk about an uninvited guest! We won, somehow. I could care less how at the moment; this was one hard-earned victory!

"I wonder why our Arcs had no effect." Alisa spoke in Soma's direction. That was a good question actually, one that I had no answer for.

"Maybe the rookies have an upgraded Arc. We should ask Licca about it. She might know." Soma seemed oddly interested in the subject. But if we _did_ have some kind of upgrade, then it was one I never knew about.

Never mind that. I was suddenly feeling drained. That fight took a lot out of me, and I was tired. "Shouldn't we tell Hibari about this?"

"Right you are, Robin. I'll call her now. Why don't the three of you start heading out?" When the Garuda started to decay, so did its ice barrier. Now we were free to leave, and I was all to glad to do just that.

As soon as we got into the open, I saw somebody standing a few yards from the entrance. I wondered who this was, but I couldn't make out any details from there. We approached, and it became clear that this was a girl. Any other details were lost on me, because she charged right for Jackal. I didn't even have the time to react before she had collided with him.

And then she said a word I never heard before: "Azrail!"


	20. Demons of the Past

_Demons of the Past_

Before I knew it, the mystery woman was on top of Jackal like an eager dog, giggling and hugging him close. I was too baffled by her sudden greeting to do more than stare for several moments. Who could this be? And why was she being so familiar with Jackal? Jackal seemed even more startled than I was, and wriggled out from under the newcomer's pounce. I could see a look of absolute confusion on his face; there was no way he knew her. So, what did this stranger know that we didn't? What the heck was going on here?

Without thinking, I blurted the first question on my mind, "What's Azrail?"

"And who are you?" Jackal added as he got to his feet and pulled himself away from the stranger. Now that I got a better look at her, I could see the woman's features more. The woman had a girlish face that seemed very gentle. Her simple, long brown hair reflected the young look. She was wearing a form-fitting, knee-length dress, and seemed ill-equipped to be in a city full of beasts by herself. However, the implant on her arm identified her as a God Eater. I did not recognize her at all.

I was about to ask her who she was when she said, "Did you just leave Alisa in there?"

Well, that was a surprise. Did she know the Captain? I asked the newcomer, "How do you know Captain Alisa?"

The newcomer did not answer me, instead staring out toward the chapel. Just then, I saw Alisa coming from the hallway. Soma was a short ways behind her, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings. "The helicopter is on its way," Alisa said as she ran to us. Then, she seemed to notice the girl. "Oh, Lucia? I didn't know you were here."

So, Lucia was her name then? Once again, I wondered who exactly she was. I approached the two slightly as Lucia and Alias began some small talk. Alisa noticed me just then and gestured my way. "This is Robin. She and Jackal are our newest recruits. They've been a huge help. Come on Robin, no need to be shy again. Lucia's not going to hurt you. Come over here and say hi."

Lucia smiled gently at me and held out a hand. "Robin? That's a nice name. You probably figured it out, but I'm Lucia. It's good to meet you."

I accepted the handshake. "And you too, Lucia." I looked between the two of them. "Are you friends? You seem familiar with each other."

Alisa nodded. "Yes. We trained together back in Russia. Lucia got reassigned to a base in Singapore after I graduated, so we haven't seen each other for a while." She turned to Lucia, "Speaking of which, what brings you here of all places?"

Lucia cast a brief glance to Jackal, who had wandered off with Soma a short ways away. Lucia's reply was oddly stoic, "I have reasons... important reasons."

"Really?" Alisa seemed a little suspicious of Lucia's sudden evasiveness.

The expression on Lucia's face was conflicted, like she was debating something. Again, she quickly regained her composure. "Yup. Reasons." Lucia repeated, casting another darting look to Jackal.

I got the impression that she and Jackal had some kind of history, but what could that be? I could sense that Lucia was guarded about the subject, so I did not ask further. I made a mental note to ask Jackal about it later.

Lucia changed the subject. "Y'know, I've heard some crazy rumors about the Far East lately. Is it true that new Aragami have been spotted here? Invincible ones?"

"Yes and no," Alisa replied, "There _are_ new Aragami around here. So far, we've seen a golden bird-like thing we call Garuda, and a giant two-headed serpent we call Tsuchinoko. They cannot be harmed by ordinary God Arcs. For some reason..." Alisa looked at Jackal, then me. "These two can do it."

Lucia gave me a strange look, eyeing me up and down. She seemed a bit incredulous. Or, was that suspicious? "Really?"

"There's also been a Susano'o hybridized with a Chi-You, and an Ouroborous with multiple cores." Alisa fell silent for several moments before continuing, "Things really started going crazy about the time Robin and Jackal showed up." She looked at me, "Not that I'm blaming you two or anything. It's just a coincidence, I'm sure. It's just..." Alisa turned back towards the chapel, "I can't help but feel like something horrible has started."

"Tell me about it." I recalled the near-death experience I had with Tsuchinoko. At the time, I was so sure I was going to die before I even got started. Now that I think on it, I only survived that one out of sheer luck. But today was different. We finally made progress against those "invincible" Aragami. I voiced as much: "But let's think positive– we just killed a Garuda! Up until now nobody but Jackal was even able to make a dent in it. We brought it down, and that's something to be happy for."

Alisa perked up at my words and smiled at me. "Good point, Robin. You're right, that _is_ cause for celebration! I have to think of some way to congratulate you two on this."

I blushed sheepishly. "What? I-I didn't do that much. I know I wouldn't have been able to do it without you and Soma."

Alisa cut me off. "Quit that already. You know as well as I that Soma and I were all but useless. In fact, wasn't it you who came up with that plan to trick it into impaling itself? If you hadn't done that I doubt we would've come out of that so well."

Lucia was looking between us. Her gaze settled on me. I could see a look of awe, and perhaps more than a little bit of disbelief. "Wow, really?"

I nodded once. My thoughts were already wandering. Alisa brought up a good point. How come it was Jackal and I who could hurt Garuda? If anything, that should have been backwards. And yet, it happened. How strange...

The sound of the chopper descending snapped me out of my thoughts. After that fight today, I was seriously looking forward going back for some well-deserved rest. I was staring in anticipation at the heli, so I failed to notice Luica creeping up on Jackal until I heard him shout.

"Whoa!" Jackal was struggling to keep his balance. "What the hell are you doing?!" Lucia had pounced onto and surprised Jackal again. She was hanging onto him piggyback-style, giggling and grinning like a little girl.

Jackal looked to Alisa and shouted, "She's your friend, right? Get her off of me!"

Alisa seemed to be barely containing a laugh. "Lucia, maybe you should..."

If she heard Alisa, Lucia was not listening. Instead, she kept clinging on and giggling. Jackal whirled about in an attempt to get her off, but she was still hanging on. Jackal next ran backwards into a wall, finally dislodging Lucia. The shocked girl finally let go, but she was none too happy about it. She stared up at him wide-eyed and shocked. I blinked in surprise myself. That... might have been a bit too much. I thought he hurt her, because Lucia did not move for a few moments and simply sat there on the ground with her head slumped.. To my relief, Lucia slowly stood. She seemed unharmed, but her face showed a jarring anguish that caught me off guard. She silently went towards the chopper, but I heard her mutter "How could you?" under her breath.

As we boarded the chopper. Lucia continued to brood. She took a seat farthest from us and folded her arms pointedly. She ignored all of our questions, including Jackal's query as to what "Azrail" was. Even Alisa could not get her to respond. As for myself, the mood was too awkward. I did not know what to say or do about it. I tried to ignore the tension by drawing again, but the atmosphere in here was getting to me. I found I could not focus. I gave up on it for now and stared out the window, letting my thoughts wander again. I certainly had a lot to think on today.

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

Several hours had passed since we got back from the mission. I had immediately returned to my room to make my report on the mission. It was a long, dull process that I was not looking forward to. I had to make sure and be through, or I might not be allowed to return to duty. The report wound up taking longer than I planned. By the time I finished my report, it was well into the night. I left my room to turn in my paperwork, but I stopped in my tracks.

 _Am I hearing things, or did somebody yell just now?_

I slowly scanned the hall, searching for the voice I thought I heard. Aside from the hum of the lights, the room was silent. Eerily so. I shook off the notion and turned to leave again.

"NO NO I DON"T WANT THIS! I SHOULDN'T BE SACRIFICED! I WANT TO LIVE!"

Now I was certain I heard it– that was Jackal's voice! I shot across the hall and threw open the door. The hallway lights cast deep shadows into the room and accentuated the shocking scene before me. Jackal was flailing about on his bed, groaning and breathing hard. His bed covers were tangled about his limbs and he appeared to be struggling against them. I realized that he must be having a nightmare. Poor guy, what kind of awful dream would make him act like this? I decided to try and wake him up. When I reached him, he had frozen up shock-still and his face was twisted in terror. He suddenly screamed again, shooting up from the bed. I reacted on impulse and put one hand over his mouth, firmly pushing him back to the bed.

That turned out to be a mistake, because Jackal had a response of his own...

"Ow! Jackal!" I recoiled as he unexpectedly bit my hand. Jackal's eyes popped open and he seemed dazed for a moment. Just as quickly, he regained his senses and gave me a concerned look. He must have realized what he did just now.

"Robin, are you okay?" he asked as he turned on the light and came to me.

"Yeah," I shook my hand a bit. He sure can bite hard! I would need to remember that next time. I was hoping there would be no next time though. The nightmare was very unlike him. "But are you okay?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jackal started to walk to the other end of the room. Was it just me, or was he crying? Probably not.

"I heard you talking in your sleep… You weren't just mumbling either. You were loud. I had no choice but to check on you." Jackal glanced my way, and I could see faint lines of moisture on his face. I gave Jackal a reassuring smile. Perhaps feeling self-conscious, he turned away again.

"I... its nothing," Jackal deflected, "Nothing to worry about."

"Then that was a very dramatic nothing." I crossed the room slowly to him. He said nothing for a while, bit I could hear him take several long breaths. He must have been more worked up than he was letting on. Then again, the way he reacted to me just now spoke volumes.

Jackal shook his head as if to dispel a bad thought. "Just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare..." I was not sure if he was talking to me, himself, or perhaps both.

He turned to me and flashed me a big grin. "I'm okay," he beamed. He was trying to be reassuring, but the smile he gave me was much too forced. Jackal shook his head and flopped down to the couch with a long sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding. Truth is, I'm not okay."

I was not sure how to react to that. Jackal seemed to be wrestling with something in his mind. I wanted to comfort him, but I also did not want to be overly forward about it. I sat down by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He seemed very conflicted for a moment, "Yes... no... I'm sorry, yes. Bear with me a sec." Jackal looked at me again with no trace of his earlier false smile. "Its kind of a strange one though."

"I don't mind if you don't mind. I just thought it might be good to get it off your chest." I gave him a little smile. "Only if you want, I mean."

Jackal hung his head and took a deep breath. "In my dream, I was going to be a sacrifice for a demon."

"That sounds terrible! At least it was only a dream."

Jackal did not seem comforted, in fact he seemed even more troubled. "I'm not sure it was just a dream Robin. I don't remember anything about my past, so how can I be so sure?"

"Demonic sacrifices aren't real," I reassured him, "Even if you _did_ get sacrificed to a demon, you wouldn't be here now, right?" I paused, unsatisfied with my response. That sounded much too cavalier to me.

Jackal laughed, but it was a self-depreciating kind of laugh. "Pretty dumb, huh? You're right. It _is_ nonsense." He looked right at me. "Sorry for waking you up about something like that."

My mind blanked out for a moment. That was the last thing I expected Jackal to say. He was one of the most optimistic people I had ever known. To hear him say something so jarringly out of character was unsettling, to put it mildly.

"Jackal, I don't think its dumb at all." I gave him an ironic grin. "I kind of envy you actually."

That must have caught him flat-footed. "Why do you envy _me_? At least you have a past to remember..."

I hesitated again, but just as quickly dismissed the reluctance. I realized that this was my chance to finally open up as I wanted. "I think I told you a little about my past, right? About how my hometown was destroyed by Aragami?" Jackal nodded and I continued, "Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off forgetting about all of that. And yet I also feel like a traitor for thinking like that. I have plenty of fond memories of Ryukyu, don't get me wrong. Its just that I..." I trailed off, not sure how to continue. Just like me to choke up again. I had to get it together.

"Don't say that." Jackal shook his head. "Having some bad memories is better than none at all."

I sighed and leaned back on the couch. "Maybe you're right. But I don't think I can let go just yet... it still hurts."

"When will it not hurt? You lost your family, your home, and your boyfriend too. If it doesn't hurt, that's when you worry."

I stared wide-eyed at Jackal. Just as the question of how he knew came, I remembered about the resonance I had in the infirmary. "When I lost everything, I was absolutely crushed. I was so sure I wouldn't open up to anyone again. But when I'm with you, I feel like I can be the person I once was. That makes me happy. I have no idea what happened to you in the past. So, I want to help you become happier too. One step at a time."

Jackal nodded at me. "Thanks, Robin. I'll be counting on you."

Jackal seemed to have calmed down a bit, but now it was me who was restless. A long, awkward silence passed between us before I regained my nerve. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

I was not sure how to answer his question. I started fidgeting with a strand of hair that fell out of my ponytail and tried to piece my thoughts together. I made eye contact and decided to get something off my chest. "We're friends, right?"

Jackal seemed surprised by my question. "Of course we are! Where'd that come from all of a sudden?"

Here goes nothing. "Do..." I felt my chest tighten and I heard my pulse race in my ears. I hoped Jackal could not see me shaking. I took a deep breath and finally spoke my mind. "I really like you. Do you want to... be a couple?"

 _Oh God, I said it. I **SAID** IT!_

Jackal stared at me for what felt like an eternity. He put an arm around my shoulders. "Is that why you've been flighty lately?"

What was that supposed to mean? Did I just cross a line that cannot be uncrossed? This was a big mistake to confess like that. What was I thinking? I just wanted to shrink into the couch like a turtle in its shell.

"I though you might never ask! Let's do just that."

I was frozen in place, unable to speak for several long seconds."I'm so glad!" I blurted, "I never thought I'd be this happy again!"

"Maybe that's what we both want. A new history. What say we make that happen?"

I was once again speechless, but this time I felt good about it. Instead, I replied by returning the light embrace he had given me. I let myself just fall into him and started giggling a bit. All the tension I had been holding in slipped out at once, and I started laughing in relief and delight.

Jackal started laughing too. "Well, I guess that means yes, huh?"

I hummed an acknowledgment, still giddy with glee. Finally telling him my feelings was nerve-wracking, but so worth it. For the first time since losing Hinata, I felt secure and complete. Jackal was right; it was high time we made new memories for both of us.


	21. Seeds of Doubt

_Seeds of Doubt_

I had no idea how long we sat together, just enjoying each other. It might have been minutes or hours: I wasn't sure, and I didn't care to check the time. I was enjoying this too much. I would stay right here all night long if I could. In fact, forever would be fine by me. Jackal eventually pulled back from me, and I gave him a somewhat surprised look.

Before I could ask, he said, "As much as I hate to say it, if you're found in my room at this time of night, all sorts of things might happen."

"Huh?" I replied. What's the problem? Was he having second thoughts about our relationship? Or was he referring to something else?

"Think about it. We will still need to write reports for your missions. The higher ups will already suspect a lot of bias in our reports because we're friends. So what do you think will happen if we're found out to be a couple? They'll begin to suspect even more bias."

Okay, so that's what he was talking about. He has a point. But I trust him more than anyone. Who else would I pick? "But we can go on missions with more than just us two," I protested, trying to convince him.

"Yes, but only we have to write reports about your performance. The others only have to write a general report about the mission. And, there's still the fact that we need to have some sleep so nothing unexpected happens in our missions."

Well, that's true. I was so wrapped up in my own feelings that I didn't think of that. It would be bad if either of us couldn't perform because we stayed up too late. I was reluctant to think about the other reason. Still, I had to ask, "So, how should we act around each other? Hide our relationship?"

"Its either that or risk you having to ask someone else to produce reports instead of me." I bit my lip in realization as Jackal gave me a comforting hug. "But that doesn't mean that we can't do this in private. All we need to do is hide our relationship until you no longer have to produce reports about your missions."

"You realize that I can just get someone like Alisa to produce the reports. I want to do everything with you, because you never know when it will end." I nuzzled closer to Jackal and looked up at him. Even just being close like this felt so right. How could I possibly think of hiding _this?_

"I think we should ask Alisa about that before we decide for her. She might not be able to do it, after all. But I'm all for the idea of asking someone we can trust."

I was glad Jackal agreed with me. Now to get that report stuff out of the way. I stood up and said, "Maybe I can ask her now. If she's awake, she's bound to say yes."

"But if she's asleep, you should wait until morning."

I knew that, but I was too excited. If she was asleep, then of course I'd wait. If not, then I was going to ask right now. I leaned down and gave Jackal one more hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jackal." I darted out of the room, too excited to contain myself. I had some business to take care of. Then, I could truly begin this exciting new chapter in my life.

 **O-O-O-O-O-O**

Morning came too soon. It turned out that I forgot to check the time before I spoke with Alisa last night. It was well after 2 in the morning; an unreasonably early time for most. By the time I was aware of this, I had already knocked at the Captain's door. Luckily for me, she was finishing a report and didn't seem to mind talking with me about Jackal and my relationship status and what that meant for my probation. I was concerned that perhaps I was overburdening her, but she insisted that she was fine with it. As for me, I was too wound up after earlier to sleep much. I had no idea when I had finally managed to fall asleep. It resulted in me sleeping right through my alarm clock.

What woke me instead was an insistent message alert from my Terminal. I stumbled out of bed, still half-asleep. What time was it anyway? Checking the alarm clock revealed that it was 9:30. I had slept in badly. As I stood and stretched the sleep from my limbs, I hoped I hadn't missed a mission dispatch. That would be very bad. I checked the email, and saw it was a message from Lindow. I was caught completely by surprise by what he had written.

 _"Robin, how's it going? I heard about how you, Soma, Jackal, and the Captain defeated a Garuda last night. Good work! You know you and Jackal are the only ones who've taken a Garuda down, right? That's the first break we've had against the invincible Aragami in a while. You two have caught HQ's attention in no small way. And mine too. You two should tell me your secret sometime._

 _"Come and meet up with me at 11:00. I'll be in the sim range, so find me there. I have something interesting to discuss with you. Not over email though. It's about the God Eater you asked me to look up: Hinata Ito wasn't it? Went by the codename Senryuu? Come meet me if you get this message."_

I stared for a few moments on reading that. How did Lindow know about…? Oh, right. It took me a moment to recall that I _did_ tell him about Hinata. I wondered what he might have found. Well, first things first; I had to get ready for the day. I got myself a quick shower and breakfast. I was in a little bit of a hurry because I overslept. I didn't need to waste any more daytime.

By the time I finished my routines, it was already 10:30. I had a little time before my meeting with Lindow. I wanted to have a quick chat with Jackal, so I decided to try and find him. But he was absent. He must have been on a mission. I wondered what he was up against today. Just a normal Aragami? A Deusphage? I decided to see what Lindow wanted, then go find a mission for myself. I had to stay sharp if I wanted to get off probation.

I made my way to the sim range and found Lindow finishing a round against a Chi-You. I waited patiently outside the window and watched the senior God Eater. He finished the false Aragami quite quickly, then turned and waved me inside. I wondered what this could be about. The training room was a strange spot to discuss things.

"Hey, there you are," Lindow slung his God Arc over a shoulder, "I was wondering if you missed my email."

"Sorry about that, Lindow. I overslept last night…" I admitted.

"A little bird told me you were up very late visiting Jackal last night. You two are an item now, yeah?"

I was caught off guard by his comment. How'd he figure it out? Did Alisa tell him what happened last night or something? I knew word would get around eventually, but I didn't expect Lindow to know about that already. I decided to change subjects. "You asked me to meet up here? What did you want to talk about?"

Lindow shot me a little smirk, "Smooth diversion, Robin. So, yeah. I did ask you to meet me here. You didn't bring your God Arc, did you?"

I shook my head, "No, why?"

Lindow laughed at me a little bit. "Come on Robin. What's this place for if not practice? Go get your Arc and come right back, okay?" When I cocked my head questioningly at him, he replied, "It's just a drill. Humor me, will you?"

I nodded, still unsure what he was up to. I thought he said he needed to talk. I didn't particularly mind training though. "Alright, I'll be right back." I quickly left and retrieved my God Arc from the maintenance bay and returned to find Lindow resetting the sim.

"Alright, here we go. Feeling like a warm-up?" he asked me.

I didn't have much choice in the decision, because the false Aragami materialized in the middle of the room. My eyes widened, my legs shook, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. My least favorite breed of Aragami was the target. The Quadriga was just prowling and hadn't noticed us yet. But that was more than enough to trigger a cascade of unpleasant memories…

"A-a-a Quadriga?!" I blurted.

Lindow was smiling casually, "Yeah. Small potatoes for a Garuda-slayer like you, I bet." He seemed to notice how nervous I was, and his cavalier attitude went serious. "You okay?"

"I… I…" My voice was shaking, and I couldn't even form a sentence. I was frozen in sheer terror.

 _This isn't even a real Quadriga,_ I scolded myself, _what's wrong with me?_

I had to focus… but I couldn't force myself to fight. A distant part of me was screaming to just fight, but an even louder part couldn't stop panicking. I couldn't even think straight. Before I knew it, the simulacrum roared and launched a missile at me. My breath froze up and my eyes widened. Flashbacks from Ryukyu were overwhelming my brain, and I couldn't move. In my terror, I'd even forgotten how to even defend myself. I had become the scared village girl I once was. I lost what tiny bit of nerve I had and screamed as I dropped my God Arc, covered my head, and fell to my knees. The "missile" careened right into me, causing a flash of light to fill my vision. I heard a loud buzzer that indicated a "fatal" hit, followed by the staticky sound of the hologram fading. I only barely registered that because I was still trying to get a grip on myself.

"Robin?! Hey, snap out of it!" Lindow shook my shoulder, making me look up in a start. I lowered my head in my hands and tried to catch my breath and hide the tears I couldn't stop from coming.

"I-I-I messed up…" I finally managed.

"I'm sorry Robin, that was supposed to be a test. I didn't think you'd react like that. I should've been more considerate…" he offered a hand to me, "C'mon, let's get you to a bench. Training's over."

"S-sorry…" I sputtered with a waver in my voice as Lindow put my arm over his shoulder and lead me to a bench outside the room. This was so embarrassing, freezing up at a training dummy…

Lindow shook his head. "No, _I'm_ sorry. That was my fault. I intentionally put a Quadriga up to see if you could fight one. I shouldn't have done that to you." Lindow helped me to a sitting position and quickly glanced over a shoulder. Then, he slipped a data disc into my lap.

I could only give him a questioning look before he said, "Take a look at that disc when you get your head back on. Just don't let anyone know you have it, yeah? I kinda had to bend a reg or two to get these files."

"W…" I took a deep breath to steady my voice and tried again. "What's this?"

"They say a picture's worth a thousand words. If so, this vid's worth a million. I think you need to look at it. Privately." Lindow patted my shoulder and looked at me with an apologetic face, "I'm really sorry about that Aragami. Knowing your history with Quadrigas and still expecting you to just fight one out of the blue was thoughtless of me. I won't do that to you again."

He knew I have a weakness regarding Quadrigas? And he put a sim Quadriga in there anyways! I was both humiliated and mortified. Having a critical weakness exposed so dramatically in front of a Veteran was the worst. "I… It's nothing." I fibbed, "I just had a weak moment. I'm alright now."

"When you're feeling better, go check your email again. I have a favor to ask you. And no, it doesn't involve Quadrigas." He looked at me with a rather awkward smile, "That is, if you're willing to go on a mission with the guy who just tortured you."

Apparently, he didn't mean to hurt me on purpose. Maybe he just wanted to see if I could do it. Clearly, I couldn't, not yet. I'll need to work on that somehow if I wanted to get over my fear.

I had to calm down first. "I'll be okay…" I said with more certainty this time, "I'll be okay."

"If you say so. I better go and let you pull yourself back together. I'll see you around, Robin." Lindow scuttled down the hall, looking more than a little uncomfortable.

I took a few more moments to recover my composure before returning to my room. Talk about a foul-up. I should not have let that Quadriga get the better of me like that. And what's worse, I had a meltdown right in front of a Veteran. So humiliating. What he said to me still nagged at me. He knew I had that phobia, but how? I sat on the edge of my bed for several minutes, turning that data disc over and over in my hands. What was I going to find on here? I was equal parts curious and wary. Something about the way Lindow gave me this thing gave me an ominous feeling.

What could possibly be on here that necessitated that secrecy? I wasn't going to learn anything by sitting here fretting about it. I mustered up my courage and put the disc in the Terminal.

At first, all I got onscreen was static. I frowned at the screen. Was this corrupted or what? Just as the question came, I heard an almost unidentifiable voice cut faintly through the static.

"Is this thing even on? Ugh, the damn water got into everything! This'll have to do."

I was transfixed to the screen. Even through the garbled noise, I could recognize the voice. It was Hinata! My eyes widened, and I strained to make out more. I didn't need to struggle long because the image cleared up. I saw a rather harried-looking Hinata staring into the viewpoint, adjusting the camera. He was in a bunker of some kind, and I could hear faint sounds of fighting from outside. The windows behind him showed brief flashes and bangs that indicated some kind of Oracle energy outside.

"Okay, finally! Got the feed straightened out." Hinata looked over his back, "Hey, Genbu! Are Nefertiti and Byakko still holding the line?"

Another male voice from off-camera replied, "I have no idea where Byakko went! As for Nefertiti, she's holding them back! I don't think she can take it much longer! We have to get back on the front lines and help, especially since Byakko isn't responding!"

"You go first! I'll follow you in just a moment!" Hinata called out.

"Just hurry the hell up! Even I can't do it without you!" the unseen man yelled back amid retreating footsteps.

Hinata looked straight into the camera and said, "If you are reading this message, then I'm probably dead." A rending sound and a shout of agony from behind caused Hinata to look over his back. A huge impact had torn into the metal behind him, shearing chunks of metal off the wall and leaving shredded gouges through it. A half-dozen metallic objects zoomed overhead, making Hinata duck. The things slammed into the wall in front with a groan of tearing steel. Bloody streaks now covered the back wall, though whether it was from the thing outside or a human was impossible to tell. Through the gaps, rows of metallic black scales could be seen moving by.

Hinata popped back into view, glancing over his back in fear. "If anyone gets this message, listen to me! What we've got outside is some ungodly thing we've called an Omega Aragami. So far, the only one like this we've seen is a giant black snake, but God only knows if this fraggin' mutant has bred or not. There could be any number of the bastards by now. If you find this thing, don't fight it! It's immortal! We've tried everything to no avail. Even Devouring its core doesn't work! And the worst part is, it's sentient! This bastard remembers, it carries out plans, and it's one evil son of a bitch! All we can do is flee south across the sea and pray this thing can't swim. I'm attaching what few data files we have on this Aragami. I hope you can do what we could not and-!"

Anything else he was going to say was cut off by a scream from Hinata as he raised his arms and turned to block something. The view was instantly blocked by another flying scale, this one crashing into the camera and destroying it. Static once again filled the screen, and the video looped back to the beginning.

I cut the video off and stared dumbly at the screen. I was so stunned by the discovery that I fell onto my butt. Even though Lindow told me as much, seeing Hinata on this video still struck me like a thunderbolt. My head was spinning. Hinata was fighting an Aragami that looked a lot like Tsuchinoko. He seemed to know something important about the Aragami. And what did he mean by, "Omega Aragami?" I could only sit there for several moments before I worked up the nerve to peruse the disc further. To my utter dismay, the remaining files were encrypted, and I could not read them.

I removed the disc from the terminal, my head swimming in questions. I looked sadly at the disc. I just knew there had to be more to this story, but unless I could break the encryption it may as well be a locked safe. I did not know what to do. All I could think to do right now was to sit on the couch and ponder what I just learned. I did not know what I was expecting, but I did know one thing: Hinata clearly had another history that I never knew about. Was this because he was running from his past too?

Or was something else at play here?


End file.
